A Charmed Summers
by APhantasm
Summary: Summary:What If Paige had not been adopted by the Matthews family. What if she had been adopted by the Summers family. And what if she had acquired her powers before season 4 of Charmed. How would she affect Buffy's destiny. This is the story of the Summers family own Power of Three. Paige (17) the Wiccan Witch, Buffy (16) the Slayer, and Dawn (14) a Wand/Wiccan Witch.
1. Chapter 1: Welcome to the Hellmouth

**Summary**:What If Paige had not been adopted by the Matthews family. What if she had been adopted by the Summers family. And what if she had acquired her powers before season 4 of Charmed. How would she affect Buffy's destiny. This is the story of the Summers family own Power of Three. Paige (17) the Wiccan Witch, Buffy (16) the Slayer, and Dawn (14) a Wand/Wiccan Witch.

**Pairings:** Buffy pairing Canon up till BTVS season 7. Her pairing not finalized for the Charmed seasons, Paige and Dawn pairings not finalized either.

**Season Outline:** BTVS Season 1-7 and then Charmed 4-8.

**Disclaimer:**I will say this only once as I don't want to repeat myself every time I post a chapter. I do not own either Charmed or Buffy. Joss Whedon owns Buffy. Charmed owned by Constance M. Burge, Paramount/Viacom and AOL Time Warner.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Welcome to the Hellmouth**

Buffy's eyes fly open.

Even in the light of morning, it was as if the nightmare Buffy had the night before still lingered.

Paige looks at Buffy from her bed, "Bad dream?" she asks her sister.

Buffy sighs and nods, "Yeah."

"Buffy… Paige…" They hear their youngest sister, Dawn, call out. "Better get up mom's gonna be leaving in 30 minutes. Don't want to be late for our first day."

Buffy sighs, "No… wouldn't want that…"

Paige laughs and shakes her head, "No wouldn't want that, would we Buff."

Buffy nods, "Normal routine?"

Paige nods, "Normal routine." She gets up and heads for the bathroom to take her shower.

Buffy gets up and makes Paige's bed and gets their clothes out of the closet. Several minutes later Paige returns and Buffy heads into the bathroom.

Paige makes Buffy's bed before getting dressed and heading downstairs. Buffy enters the room a couple minutes later. She gets dressed before heading downstairs.

Joyce sighs, "Why is it you two are always the last ones up?"

Buffy and Paige simply smile as they all pile into the car.

10 minutes later Joyce pulls the car up outside the school. Buffy, Paige and Dawn get out.

"Now, you three have a good time." Joyce said watching her daughters get out of the car. "I know you'll make friends right away. Think positive. And Buffy, Paige… try not to get kicked out."

Buffy looks at Paige and rolls her eyes. "We promise."

As their mother drove off, Buffy, Paige and Dawn stood for a moment, sizing up their new situation. Sighing, Buffy and Paige started in leaving Dawn standing where she was. Dawn notices a few students look at her as if to ask why she is there. Dawn simply smiles as she knows she is a little young to be in high school. But she blames that on having been allowed to skip grades.

Dawn is about to follow her sisters when she hears someone call out. "Coming through… Coming through… Not certain how to stop…"

He was tall and dark-haired and as he headed toward the entrance, he suddenly spied Paige. Which took his eyes off where he was going as he headed straight for Dawn.

"Hey watch out!" Dawn cried out as the boy knocked her over. Buffy and Paige run back to their sister and help the boy and Dawn up.

"Dawnie you okay?" Paige asks.

Dawn nods, "Yeah I'm good." She looks to Xander, "You should pay more attention to where you're going."

Xander nods in agreement as he looks at Paige.

Paige, Buffy and Dawn turn and head into the school.

A few moments Buffy, Paige and Dawn sat in the principal's office across the desk from Mr. Flutie. As they watched him he pulled Dawn's transcript from a folder. "Interesting, quite interesting. Dawn Summers. Sophmore, late of Hemery High in Los Angeles. Skipped a couple grades, near genius level IQ."

Dawn smiles, "I try, sir."

Mr. Flutie pulls out Paige's transcript from a folder. He looks at it, looks at her. "Paige Summers. Sophomore, also late of Hemery High in Los Angeles. Average student. Interesting record" Paige nods. "And lastly Buffy Summers, Sophmore, also late of Hemery High in Los Angeles. Also an average student. Interesting record again. Quite a career."

Before Paige and Buffy could answer, he smiled and carefully tore up all three transcripts into four pieces each.

"Welcome to Sunnydale," he announced. "A clean slate, that's what you get here. What's past is past. We're not interested in what it says on a piece of paper. Even if it says…" He broke off and looked down again at the ripped pages from Buffy's transcript. Though it could just have easily been Paige's transcripts. Buffy, Paige and Dawn weren't quite sure which. His eyes went wide. "Whoa. At Sunnydale we nurture the whole student. The inner student."

He looks at pieces of both Paige and Dawn's transcripts and sees similar remarks.

Having recovered himself, Mr. Flutie continued to talk while picking up pieces of all three transcripts and arranging them back into their original shape.

"Other schools might look at the incredible decline in grade point average…" His eyes fell on Buffy and Paige "…we look at the struggling young woman with the incredible decline in grade point average. Other schools might look at the reports of gang fights…"

"Mr. Flutie…" Buffy interrupted.

"All the kids here are free to call me Bob…"

"Bob…" Buffy says looking towards her sisters.

"But they don't."

He pulls some tape and began taping the transcripts together again.

"Mr. Flutie. I know our transcripts are a little colorful…" Buffy says.

"Hey, we're not caring about that! Do you think 'colorful' is the word? Not 'dismal'? Just off hand, I'd go with 'dismal.'"

Paige sighs, "It wasn't that bad."

Mr. Flutie looks between Buffy and Paige, "You two burned down the gym."

"They did. They really did." Dawn said. "But you gotta see the big picture. I mean, the gym was full of vamp… uh, asbestos."

"Don't worry. Any other school, they might say 'watch your step', or, 'we'll be watching you' or, 'get within a hundred yards of the gym with a book of matches and you'll grow up in juvie hall' but that's just not the way here. We want to service your needs, and help you to respect our needs. And if your needs and our needs don't mesh…" Mr. Flutie says.

Smiling blandly, he slips the messily mended transcript back into their folder and slams them shut with his hand.

Buffy and Paige still felt depressed as they left Mr. Fluties office. As Paige paused there in the hallway, causing her sisters to stop also, she starts rummaging through her bag. A distracted student bumps into her, sending her stuff flying in all directions. Frustrated Paige knelt down and started scooping everything back up. Dawn and Buffy knelt down to help their sister.

The boy who bumped into Dawn earlier, who was standing close by and had witnessed the whole incident, immediately came over and knelt beside them.

"Can I have you?" The boy asked, looking at Paige. Then he instantly corrected himself. "Dyeh – can I help you?"

Paige rolls her eyes.

Buffy smiles, "Thanks…"

He started picking up Paige's things and handing them to her.

"I don't know you, do I?" The question was directed at Paige and Buffy and Dawn noticed he was paying absolutely no attention to them.

Dawn rolls her eyes, "Yeah you kind of do. You ran into me this morning while checking my sister out."

The boy blushes.

"We're new. I'm Buffy." Buffy points to Paige. "This is my older sister, Paige." She points to Dawn. "And my younger sister, Dawn."

"Xander. Is me. Hi." Xander's gaze never leaving Paige.

Dawn leans over to Buffy and whispers, "Looks like someone could be crushing on Paige."

Buffy nods.

"Thanks." Paige says.

"Maybe I'll see you around," Xander suggested. "Maybe at school, since we both… go there…"

Buffy sighs, "Great. Nice to meet you." She drags Paige and Dawn away from Xander.

They reach the history classroom a few moments later. "This is where I leave you, stupid AP classes. I would so rather be taking classes with you guys." Dawn said.

Buffy and Paige hug Dawn. "We know the feeling, Dawnie." Paige said. "New school and all we know are each other."

Dawn nods and heads off to her class.

Buffy and Paige sat in the back the history class, earnestly taking notes. The teacher's voice droned on and on while they tried to keep up.

"It's estimated that about 25 million people died in that one four year span. But the fun part of the Black Plague is that it originated in Europe how? As an early form of germ warfare. The plague was first found in Asia, and a Kipchak army actually catapulted plague-infested corpses into a Genoese trading post. Ingenious. If you look at the map on page 63 you can trace the spread of the disease…"

Everyone opened their books. Buffy and Paige didn't have one yet, and as they looked around at the other kids, a girl in the desk next to theirs leaned over.

"Here," the girl said. She moved her book so Buffy and Paige could share it.

Paige moves her desk close to Buffy's so she can look at the girl's book. "Thanks."

"And this popular plague led to what social changes?" The teacher continued. When the bell rang, the girl finally introduced herself.

"Hi, I'm Cordelia."

"I'm Paige and this is my sister Buffy." Paige says.

"If you're looking for textbooks of your very own, there's probably a few in the Library." Cordelia says.

"Oh, great. Thanks. Where would that be?" Buffy asks.

"I'll show you." Cordelia replies.

The girls walked out into the crowded hall and Cordelia glanced at Buffy and Paige with unconcealed interest. "You both transferred from Hemery, right? In L.A.?"

"Yeah. Along with our younger sister, Dawn." Paige says.

"Oh! I would kill to live in L.A. Being that close to that many shoes… Why'd you come here?" Cordelia says.

Buffy looked at Paige as if asking her to answer so she wouldn't to explain about them being expelled.

"Because our Mom moved, is the reason. I mean all of us moved. But our Mom wanted to." Paige said.

"Well, you'll both be okay here," Cordelia assured them. "If you hang with me and mine, you'll be accepted in no time. Of course we do have to test your coolness factor. You're both from L.A., so you can skip the written, but, let's see… Vamp nail polish."

Buffy asked tentatively, "Over?"

"So over," Cordelia replied. "James Spader."

Paige rolls her eyes knowing what Buffy's answer would be.

"He needs to call me." Buffy said.

Paige smiled, yep she had been right.

"Trendy but tasty. John Tesh."

"The Devil?" Buffy says.

Cordelia nodded, "Well, that was pretty much a gimme, but you passed." She looks to Paige. "I won't ask you any. Cause with you being sisters with Buffy here, she would have to have rubbed off, right?"

"Right." Paige says sarcastically.

"Oh, good." Buffy put a hand to her heart in mock relief.

They stopped at the water fountain, where another girl was taking her turn.

"Willow!" Cirdekua raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "Nice dress. Good to know you've seen the softer side of Sears."

Buffy looks at Paige seeing a similar reaction to Cordelia's sudden viciousness.

Willow sounded almost apologetic. "Well my Mom picked it out."

"No wonder you're such a guy-magnet." Cordelia's tone was withering. "Are you done?"

"Oh." Willow said softly, instantly vacating the fountain. Cordelia stepped up to it and glanced at Buffy and Paige.

"You both wanna fit in here, the first rule is 'Know your losers'. Once you can identify them all by sight, they're a lot easier to avoid." Cordelia said.

She bends down to drink. Paige and Buffy looked unhappily at the departing Willow, then followed Cordelia on to the library.

"And if you're not too swamped with catching up you should come out to the Bronze tonight." Cordelia suggested.

"The who?" Buffy asked.

"The Bronze. It's the only club worth going to around here. They let anybody in but it's still the scene. It's in the bad part of town." Cordelia replied.

"Where's that?" Paige asked.

"About half a block from the good part of town. We don't have a whole lot of town. You two should show." Cordelia said.

They'd reached the library now. The three of them stopped in front of the door.

Buffy looks at Paige who nods, "Well, we'll try, thanks," Buffy promised.

"Good. I'll see you both at gym and you can tell me absolutely everything there is to know about yourselves." Cordelia turned and went off.

Buffy looks at Paige, "That sounds like fun…"

Paige rolls her eyes as they entered the library, surprised at the elegance of it. A short flight of stairs led up to a second level. There didn't seem to be anyone around. As they paused beside the checkout counter, they happened to notice a folded newspaper lying there, an article on it's first page circled in red. The headline state 'Local Boys Still Missing,' and beside it was a blurry picture of three boys.

"Let's not overreact." Paige says looking over the article.

Buffy nods as they wandered farther in. They peered around a bookcase.

"Hello… Is anybody here?" Buffy asks.

Without warning someone touched Buffy's shoulder, startled she spun to face him as Paige too spun around.

"Can I help you?" the man asked politely.

Buffy and Paige breathed a sigh of relief.

"We were looking for some, well, books. We're new." Buffy says.

"Miss Buffy Summers." The man said before looking at Paige. "And I take it your Miss Paige Summers."

"Good call. I guess we're the only new kids. Well along with our sister, Dawn." Paige says.

"I'm Mr. Giles, the librarian."

Buffy and Paige studied him for an instant.

"Great." Buffy smiled. "So you have, uh…"

"I know what you're both after."

He turned and led them to the checkout desk by the door. They could see his office just behind it, but Mr. Giles obviously hadn't meant to take them there. They watched curiously as he pulled a book out from beneath the counter and slid it toward them. Huge and leather bound, it bore a single word in gilt upon its cover.

_VAMPYR_

Paige looked at Buffy. Buffy had told her briefly about her dream the night before.

Real concern flooded Paige and Buffy's faces – and with it, a look of wary understanding. They stepped back from the desk, but their gaze remained on the library.

"That's not what we're looking for." Buffy told him her voice going tight.

"Are you sure?" Giles asked.

Paige nods, "We're way sure."

Mr. Giles hesitated… gave an almost imperceptible nod. "My mistake."

He replaced the book under the counter.

"So," he continued softly. "what is it you said –"

He stared out into the empty room.

Buffy and Paige had gone.

Willow carefully sorted through her packed lunch. She was so involved that she didn't notice anyone approaching until a voice spoke behind her.

"Uh, hi," the voice said. "Willow, right?"

Willow started and turned around. "Why?" she asked suspiciously, and then, seeing who it was, "I mean, hi. Did you want me to move?"

"Why don't we start with hi, I'm Buffy and this is my sister Paige," Buffy suggested, as she and Paige sat down beside her. "And then let's segue directly into me asking you for a favor. It doesn't involve moving, but it does involve you hanging out with me for a while."

Willow's expression was doubtful. "But aren't you two… hanging with Cordelia?"

"We can't do both?" Paige asks.

"Not legally." Willow replies.

"Look, I really want to get by here," Buffy explained. "New school… Cordelia's been really nice – to us, anyway – but I have this burning desire not to flunk all my classes, and I heard a rumor that you were the person to talk to if I wanted to get caught up."

Willow brightened. "Oh, I could totally help you out! But how come your sister, Dawn right, isn't helping?"

Paige smiles, "Dawn will have her hands full helping me out."

"Well then if you have sixth period free we could meet in the library…" Willow said.

"Or not." Buffy declined at once as she glanced towards her sister. "Or, you know, we could meet somewhere quieter. Louder. That place kind of gives me a wiggins."

Paige nods in agreement.

"It has that effect on most kids. I love it, though. It's a great collection, and the new librarian's really cool." Willow said.

"He's new?" Paige asks.

"Yeah, he just started. He was a curator of some British Museum. Or the British museum, I'm not sure. But he knows everything and he brought all these historical volumes and biographies and am I the single dullest person alive?" Willow says.

"Not at all!" Buffy insisted.

The girls looked up as Xander sauntered over with Jesse.

"Hey. Are you guys busy?" Xander greeted them. "Can we interrupt? We're interrupting."

"Hey," Paige smiled.

Dawn walks over and sits next to Paige. "Hey."

Paige smiles and ruffles Dawn's hair, "Hey Dawnie."

"Paige!" Dawn exclaimed. "How many times do I have to ask not to mess with my hair?"

Paige smiles, "Once more like usual."

"Hey there." Jesse answered.

"Paige, Buffy, Dawn; this is Jesse." Willow mad the introductions. "And that's Xander."

"Oh, me, Paige, Buffy, and Dawn go way back," Xander said casually. "Old friends, very close. Then there was that period of estrangement, I think we were all changing as people, but here we are and it's like old times, I'm quite moved."

Paige, Buffy and Dawn stared at him half amused, half amazed.

"Is it me?" Jesse asked him. "Or are you turning into a babbling idiot?"

Paige smiles, "It's not you. You should have seen him this morning. He came to help me pick up my things after some kid knocked them out of my hands. The first thing out of his mouth was can I have you. Of course he quickly backpedaled."

Jesse laughs as Xander hangs his head in shame.

"It's nice to meeting you guys," Buffy said. "I think."

"Well, we wanted to welcome you, make you feel at home." Jesse replied gallantly. "Unless you have a scary home."

"And to return this." Xander add. He produced the stake that had fallen earlier from Paige's bag. "The only thing I can figure is that you're building a really little fence."

Buffy glared at Paige as she took it and stuck it back in her bag.

"Oh. No." Buffy's mind worked swiftly. "That was for self-defense. Everyone has them in L.A. Pepper spray is so passé."

Paige looks at Buffy as if to say thank you. Buffy nods her head.

Xander nodded, as though not quite convinced. "So. What do you guys like, what do you do for fun, and what do you look for in a man… Let's hear it." Xander says.

"If you have any dark, painful secrets that we could publish…" Jesse suggested.

"Gee," Dawn's tone was mildly sarcastic. "Everybody wants to know about us. How keen."

"Well, not a lot happens in a one-Starbucks town like Sunnydale." Xander confessed. "You three are big news."

Paige shakes her head as she looks to Buffy. She wonders if their new friends suspect the Summers family secret. "We're not. Really."

"Are these people bothering you?" Cordelia suddenly appeared behind Jesse, a look of pure disdain on her face.

Buffy and Paige glance around in surprise. "Oh! No."

Paige shakes her head, "Nope."

Dawn looks between her sisters as if to ask what's wrong?, "No."

"They're not hanging out with us." Willow hastened to explain, while Jesse only looked smitten at the sight of Cordelia.

"Hey, Cordelia." Jesse said.

"Oh, please." Cordelia dismissed him in disgust, turning her attention to Buffy, Paige and Dawn. "I don't want to interrupt your downward mobility. I just thought I'd tell you guys that you won't be meeting Coach Foster, the woman with chest hair, because gym has been canceled due to the extreme dead guy in the locker."

Buffy stared at her. "What?"

"What are you talking about?" Willow straightened, looking alarmed.

"Some guy was stuffed in Aura's locker." Cordelia explained.

"Dead?" Paige said.

"Way dead." Cordelia confirmed.

"So not just a little dead then," Xander added.

Cordelia gave him one of her looks. "Don't you have elsewhere to be?"

"If you need a shoulder to cry on," Jesse offered. "Or just to nibble on –"

"How did he die?" Dawn broke in, her gaze going from her sisters to Cordelia.

"I don't know…"

"Well, were there any marks?" Buffy asked.

"Morbid much?" Cordelia was eyeing the sister though they were some kind of alien. "I didn't ask!"

Abruptly Buffy, Paige and Dawn stood up. "Uh, look, we gotta book. We'll see you guys later."

Buffy, Paige and Dawn went quickly around the side of the gym. Once out of sight they stopped in the shadows. "Paige," Buffy said.

Paige nods and looks around as she grasps Dawn and Buffy's hands and orbs into the locker room.

They saw the body at once, lying on the floor stretched out beneath a blanket. Hesitantly Buffy approached it, feeling certain she wasn't going to be at all pleased with what she found. Slowly she folded the blanked down from the corpse's head and shoulders.

Grim frustration flooded Buffy's face. Share stared down at the body, nearly seething as she sees he has two big ol' bite marks in his neck. She shows the bite marks to Dawn and Paige.

"Oh, great!" They say in unison.

Moments later, an exasperated Buffy, Dawn and Paige strode into the library.

"Okay, what's the sitch?" Buffy demanded.

Giles was standing on the second level, completely engrossed in a book. He looked down as the sisters started up toward him.

"Sorry?" he asked.

"You heard about the dead guy, right?" Paige retorted. "The dead guy in the locker?"

"Yes."

"Well, it's the weirdest thing. He's got two little holes in his neck and all his blood's been drained. Isn't that bizarre? Aren't you just going, 'Ooooh…'" Buffy said.

Giles let out a sigh. "I was afraid of this."

"Well, we weren't." Dawn said.

Buffy nods, "I was afraid that I'd be behind in all the classes."

"I wouldn't make any friends." Paige said.

Buffy nods, "I'd have last month's hair." Dawn giggled. "We didn't think there would be vampires on campus. And we don't care."

Paige and Dawn nod in agreement.

"Then why are you three here?" Giles asks. He was aware of Paige and Dawn's abilities and that against Merrick's advice they had helped Buffy repeatedly during her patrols.

"To tell you that we don't care," Buffy stammered. "Which we don't, and… have now told you. So bye."

Buffy, Paige and Dawn retreated and started for the door, feeling a little let down by their undignified exit.

"Will he rise again?" Giles asked.

The sisters stopped midstride. "Who?" Paige asked.

"The boy."

"No, he's just dead." Buffy said.

"Can you be sure?"

Dawn nods, "To make you a vampire they have to drink your blood and then you have to drink theirs. Mostly they'll just take all your blood and then you just die – why are we still talking to you?"

"You three have no idea what's going on, do you?" Giles challenged them, his words tightly controlled. "Do you think it's a coincidence, you three came here? That boy was just the beginning."

Buffy, Paige and Dawn turned back and looked up at him. "Oh, why can't you leave us alone?" Buffy asks.

Paige and Dawn nod in agreement.

"Because you are the Slayer, Buffy. And the only reason I am going to allow Paige and Dawn to help you is because of their abilities."

Buffy, Paige and Dawn froze. They watched as Giles came down the stairs, his gaze very solemn.

"Into every generation a slayer is born," Giles intoned. One girl, in all the world, a Chosen One. One born with the…"

Buffy joined him then and the two of them speaking together. "…the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness…"

Until Giles broke off, letting Buffy, or so he thought, finish the words alone. Instead it was Paige who finished. "To stop the spread of their evil blah blah we've heard it, okay?"

Giles looked troubled. "I don't understand this attitude, coming from any of you. Buffy, you've accepted your duty; you've slain vampires before…"

"Well, I have both been there and done that. And I am moving on. We're moving on." Buffy said.

Giles considered this a moment, then asked, "What do you know about this town?"

"It's two hours on the freeway from Neiman Marcus." Buffy said.

Motioning them to wait for him, Giles disappeared into a back room and continued to talk.

"Dig a bit in the history of this place and you'll find there has been a steady stream of fairly odd occurrences. I believe this area is a center of mystical energy. Things gravitate toward it that you might not find elsewhere."

He reappeared with a stack of books.

"Like vampires." Dawn concluded.

Buffy, Paige and Dawn tried to move past him, but he pulled a book from the pile and handed it to Buffy. It resembled the vampire book he had shown Buffy and Paige earlier and while the sisters stared down at it, he continued to heap more books into Buffy's arms.

"Like werewolves," Giles went on quickly. "Zombies. Succubi, incubi…" He leaned in close to the sisters faces. "Everything you ever dreaded under your bed and told yourselves couldn't be by the light of day."

"What, did you send away for the Time Life series?" Paige asks.

Giles actually looked a bit sheepish. "Uh, yes."

"Did you get the free phone?" Buffy asked.

Paige and Dawn laugh.

"The calendar."

"Cool." Then, remembering their agenda, Buffy stated, Okay, first of all, I'm a vampire slayer," transferring the books back into his arms. "And secondly, my sisters and I are retired. Hey, I know! Why don't you kill them?"

Giles's smile seemed rather surprised. "I'm a watcher. I haven't the skill."

"Oh, come on. Stake through the heart, a little sunlight – it's like falling off a log." Paige says. "If I can do it, you can do it."

"The Slayer slays," Giles explained patiently. The Watcher…"

Dawn giggles, "Watches?"

Buffy and Paige laugh.

"Yes. No!" Giles recovered himself. "He – he – trains her, he prepares her…"

"Prepares me for what?" Buffy was really angry now. And Paige and Dawn weren't very far behind. "For getting kicked out of school? Losing all my friends? Having to force my sisters and my mom move to a new town because no other school in L.A. would accept me or Paige. Having to spend all my time fighting for my life and never getting to tell anyone except Paige and Dawn because it might 'endanger' them?" Her gaze was challenging. "Go ahead. Prepare me."

Paige, Buffy and Dawn turned on their heels and left. Giles went out after them. He continued to follow them through the hallway as it began filling with students once again.

"It's getting worse." Giles called after them.

Buffy, Paige and Dawn stopped and whirled to face him. All too conscious of the crowds around them, they tried not to sigh too loudly. "What's getting worse?" Buffy asks.

Paige rolls her eyes, "Come on Buffy, forget him."

"The influx of the undead," Giles murmured, moving them over against the wall. "The supernatural occurrences. It's been building for years and now… There's a reason why you're here, and there's a reason why it's now." Giles says.

"Because now is the time our mom moved _here_." Dawn said.

"Something is coming," he insisted. "Something is going to happen here soon."

Buffy pulled his arm down. "Gee, can you vague that up for us…?"

But Giles voice had dropped even more. Buffy, Paige and Dawn had to strain to hear.

"As far as I can tell," he explained, "the signs point to a crucial mystical upheaval very soon – days, possibly less."

Paige gave him a narrow stare. "Come on. This is Sunnydale," she reminded him. "How bad an evil can there be here?" Paige says.

Buffy stood in front of hers and Paige's bedroom mirror, agonizing over her fashion statement of the evening. Holding up an outfit that was shockingly scanty, she spoke aloud to her reflection.

"Hi! I'm an enormous slut!"

Somehow it wasn't quite right. She replaced it with the second outfit, this one a much plainer version, and took another careful look at herself.

"Hi! Would you like a copy of the Watchtower?"

Still not right. Frustreated Buffy threw them both down.

"I used to be so good at this…" Buffy said looking in the mirror at her sisters.

Paige laughs from where she sits on her bed. It's obvious she has been dressed and ready for a while.

Dawn stands watching her older sisters from the door, "I wish I could go with you."

It was just then that their mother came into the room.

"Are you and Paige going out tonight, honey?" Joyce asked Buffy and Paige.

"Yeah, Mom. We're going to a club." Buffy said.

"Will there be boys there?" Joyce asked with a touch of motherly concern.

Paige rolls her eyes, "No, Mom; it's a nun club."

Their mother ignored the mild sarcasm. "Well, just be careful."

"We will. Right, Paige?" Buffy said as she, Paige and Dawn could sense the conversation easing into serious territory.

Paige nods, "Yep."

"I think we can make it work here," Joyce insisted. "I've got my positive energy flowing. I'm gonna get the gallery on its feet – we may already have found a space."

Dawn smiles, "That's great, mom."

"And that school is a very nurturing environment, which is what you all need." Joyce said.

"Mom…" Buffy said.

"Oh, not too nurturing. I know. Dawn's fourteen, you're sixteen and Paige is seventeen. I read all about the dangers of over nurturing." Joyce hesitated, then added truthfully, "It's hard. New town and all. For me, too. I'm trying to make it work. I'm going to make it work."

Paige smiles, "We know."

"You're all good girls." Joyce looks at Paige and Buffy, "You two just fell in with the wrong crowd. But that's all behind us now."

"It is," Buffy assured her. "From now on, we're only hanging out with the living. I – I mean, the lively… people."

Their mother looked relieved. "Okay. You two have fun." She looked towards her youngest daughter. "How about some pizza and a movie tonight?"

Dawn smiles, "I'd like that, mom."

Buffy decided on the tight slacks, the powder blue shirt, and the knit tank top to go under it. She then decided to put her hair up on top of her head.

And then instead of orbing to the Bronze, Buffy and Paige had decided to walk.

As they left the safe lights of the suburbs behind, they found themselves entering the deserted city streets on the edge of town.

The sidewalk stretched endlessly before them, camouflaged in shadows, and their footsteps echoed hollowly in the dark. They continued along the pavement until slowly it began to don on them that they weren't alone.

There was another sound of footsteps now.

Footsteps behind them… footsteps walking where they had walked.

Buffy and Paige whirled around.

They could see a figure standing there, shrouded in blackness. Just far enough away so that they didn't feel quite comfortable confronting it.

The figured didn't move.

And then they couldn't actually see its face, they had the distinct unsettling impression that it was looking straight at them.

Turning quickly, Buffy and Paige went on.

The figure followed.

"Be prepared to orb." Buffy said looking briefly at her sister.

Buffy and Paige picked up speed. They could hear the footsteps again, sure and measured behind them, taking their time. Buffy and Paige picked up the pace and turned the next courner and went even faster.

The figure kept coming. Not hurrying at all… keeping a discreet distance.

Buffy and Paige duck into an alleyway, quickly assessing their surroundings. Paige spots a large pipe spanned the enclosure some teen feet above them. A cluster of garbage cans blocked the other end.

"I have an idea…" Paige said looking up at the pipe.

Buffy followed her sister's gaze up and then smiled. With one smooth movement, Buffy swung herself up onto the pip, her body poised in a handstand. Paige moved behind the trashcans and out of sight of the end of the alleyway. They waited for the figure to turn into the alleyway and then Buffy dropped don on him without warning, her legs locked over his neck. Throwing herself back, Buffy tipped him over, then rolled and slammed his body onto the ground.

Paige comes out from hiding and makes her way to stand next to Buffy.

The man is on his feet instantly, but Buffy grabbed him and threw him up against the wall. As she and Paige close in, they suddenly realized he was making no move to attack them. Instead he put up his hands.

"Is there a problem, ma'am?" the young man asked.

He seemed faintly amused at the situation. Buffy and Paige eyed him suspiciously, getting a good look at him for the first time.

"There's a problem," Buffy shot back. "Why are you following us?"

His voice was calm. Matter of fact. "I know what you're both thinking, but don't worry. I don't bite."

It was at all what Buffy or Paige expected to hear. They took a step back from him, their faces perplexed.

"Truth is, I thought you'd be taller," the young man went on as he addressed Buffy. "Or bigger, muscles and all that. You're pretty spry, though."

Buffy rolls her eyes and looks at Paige, "Really someone is always making fun of my height."

"What do you want?" Paige demanded.

"Same thing you two do."

"Okay, what do we want?" Buffy asks.

The amusement left his face.

"To kill 'em. To kill 'em all."

Buffy and Paige both felt a split second of surprise. "Sorry!" Buffy announced, doing her best impression of a game-show host. "That's incorrect but you do get this lovely watch and a year's worth of Turtle Wax what we want… is to be left alone."

Paige nods, "Yeah."

He gazed at Buffy and Paige steadily. "Do either of you really think that's an option anymore? You're standing at the mouth of Hell. And it's about to open."

Slowly he reached into his coat. When he withdrew his hand again, he was holding what appeared to be three small fort of jewelry boxes.

"Don't turn your back on this," he warned, throwing one box to Paige and the other two to Buffy. "You've got to be ready."

Buffy's chin lifted defiantly, "What for?"

"For the Harvest."

He turned from them then and started back the way he'd come. Paige called out after him.

"Who are you?"

"Let's just say I'm a friend." He said quietly.

"Well, maybe we don't want a friend." Buffy answered, exasperated.

His smiled was strangely secretive. "I didn't say I was either of _yours_…"

Buffy and Paige watched him go. They saw his shadow fade into all the other shadows, and then they carefully opened the boxes.

There were three crosses one in each box. One each for Buffy, Paige and Dawn.

Buffy rolls her eyes as she fingers the Carolingian cross around her neck, the symbol of her and her sisters.

A good size crowd milled aimlessly around the Bronze.

Paige and Buffy moved their way up the line, scanning about for a familiar face. There was no one here they recognized. Inside, the place was dark and noisy and absolutely packed.

Buffy and Paige pushed their way through, still looking around for someone they knew. They were relieved when they finally spotted Willow at the bar. The girl was shyly ordering a soda, and Buffy and Paige hurried over to join her.

"Hi!" Buffy smiled.

"Oh, hi!" Willow locked surprised and pleased at the same time. And very out of place in her Peter Pan collar and sweater. "Hi."

"Are you here with someone?" Paige asks.

"No, I'm just here. I thought Xander was gonna show up…" Willow replied

"Oh, are you guys going out?" Buffy asked.

"No. We're just friends." Willow thought a moment, then added, "We used to go out, but we broke up."

"How come?" Paige asks.

"He stole my Barbie." As Buffy and Paige gave her a strange look, Willow explained, "We were five."

"Oh." Buffy and Paige say.

"I don't actually date a whole lot… lately." Willow said.

"Why not?" Buffy asks.

"Well, when I'm with a boy I like, it's hard for me to say anything cool, or witty, or at all… I can usually make a few vowel sounds, and then I have to go away."

Buffy couldn't help laughing. "It's not that bad."

"It is. I think boys are more interested in a girl who can talk."

"You really haven't been dating lately." Paige said.

"It's probably easy for you two."

"Oh, yeah," Buffy nodded a little forlornly. "Real easy."

Paige rolls her eyes, "Says the person who had Pike fawning over her."

"I mean, you two don't seem too shy." Willow said.

Buffy glares at Paige, "Pike doesn't count and you know it. He was just a friend." She looks back at Willow. "Well, my philosophy is –" She broke off. "Do you wanna hear my philosophy?"

"I do," Willow said eagerly.

"Life is short."

Willow fixed the sisters with a steady gaze. "Life is short."

"Not original, I'll grant you," Buffy shrugged. "But it's true. Why waste time being all shy? Why worry about some guy and if he's gonna laugh at you? You know? Seize the moment. 'Cause tomorrow you might be dead."

Paige rolls her eyes.

"Oh…" Willow said. "That's nice… Hey do you guys mind if I ask you something?"

Paige nods, "Shoot."

"You guys are sisters, right. You don't look much alike though." Willow says.

Paige sighs, "That's because I'm adopted. I was born 7 months before Buffy."

Buffy's glance went quickly around the crowds. As she spotted someone moving about on the balcony above them, her brow creased in a frown. She nudges Paige who follows her gaze. Paige nods indicating she's seen him.

"Uh, we'll be back in a minute." Buffy promised.

"That's okay," Willow assured them. "You don't have to come back."

Smiling at their friends self-effacing attitude, Buffy said again, more firmly this time, "We'll be back in a minute."

It didn't take Buffy and Paige long to find the stairs. They pushed their way up and onto the balcony, then managed at last to squeeze next to the railing that overlooked the stage. Buffy and Paige leaned there on either side of him trying to appear casual, not even looking at Giles, who came to stand just as casually between them.

"So, you like to party with the students?" Buffy teased him. "Isn't that kind of skanky?"

Giles's tone was withering. "Right. This is me having fun." He continued to gaze down upon the stage. "Watching clown-hair prance about is hardly my idea of a party. I'd much prefer to be home with a cup of bovril and a good book."

Paige rolled her eyes, "You need a personality, stat."

"This is a perfect breeding ground for vampire activity," Giles admonished them. "Dark, crowded… Besides, I knew you both were likely to show up. And I have to make you understand…"

"That the Harvest is coming, we know, your friend told us." Buffy says.

Giles seemed completely thrown off by this remark. He shot Buffy an anxious glance. "What did you say?"

"The… Harvest," Buffy said carefully. "That means something to you? 'Cause I'm drawing a blank. What about you Paige?"

Paige nods, "Drawing a blank also. Probably need to get Dawn researching it."

"I'm not sure… Who told you this?" Giles said.

"This guy." Buffy could still see him in her mind, could still recall their confrontation in the alley. "Dark, gorgeous in an annoying sort of way. I figured you were buds."

"No…" Giles mumbled, frowning. "The Harvest… Did he say anything else?"

"Something about the mouth of Hell." Paige replies.

Buffy nods, "I really didn't like him."

All three of them were staring out over the floor now at the kids dancing and parying to the loud rhythm of the band.

"Look at them," Giles tone bordered on annoyance. "Throwing themselves about…. Completely unaware of the danger that surrounds them."

"Lucky them…" Paige and Buffy say.

"Or perhaps you're both right," Giles conceded. "Perhaps there is no trouble coming. The signs could be wrong. It's not as though you're having the nightmares…"

Buffy looks at Paige, her eyes wide. She had told no one other than Paige about the dreams. Not even, Dawn. She says nothing, as she looks back down at the dancing kids.

"I didn't say I'd never slay another vampire," Buffy tried to rationalize. "I'm just not gonna get way extracurricular with it. If I run into one, sure…"

Paige nods in agreement, "Ditto."

"But will you be ready?" Giles asks earnestly. "Especially with your sisters helping you, will you be ready in time to protect them? There's so much you don't know, about them and about your own powers. A vampire appears to be a normal person, until the feed is upon them. Only then do they reveal their true demonic visage."

"You're like a textbook with arms!" Buffy exploded. "I know this!"

Giles chose to ignore Buffy's outburst. "The point is, a Slayer should be able to see them anyway. Without looking, without thinking. Can you tell me if there's a vampire in this building?"

Buffy looks at Paige and sighs, "Maybe?"

"You should know! Even through this mass and this din you should be able to sense them." Giles drew a breath, his voice encouraging. "Try. Reach out with your mind."

Buffy and Paige looked down at the mass of swinging, swaying bodies. Slowly they furrowed their brow.

"You have to hone your senses," Giles instructed Buffy. "Focus until the energy washes over you, till you can feel every particle of…"

"There's one." Buffy said quickly.

Paige follows Buffy's gaze and nods. "Yep there's one."

Giles stopped. He peered down over the railing completely nonplussed. "What? Where?"

Pointing, Buffy tried to show him. "Down there. Talking to that girl."

In one far corner stood a good-looking young man. He was talking to a girl, but from where they were standing, neither Giles nor Buffy and Paige could really get a good look at her.

Giles casts a doubtful look at Buffy then Paige. "But you don't know…" he began, while Buffy vehemently interrupted.

"Oh, please. Look at his jacket. He's got the sleeves rolled up. And the shirt… Deal with that outfit for a moment. Even Paige here could tell you he's a vampire."

Giles looks to Paige who nods in agreement. He looks back to Buffy, "It's dated?"

"It's carbon dated! Trust me: only someone who's been living underground for ten years would think that was the look." Buffy said.

Paige nods, "Yeah I would say that look went out of style at least 20 years ago."

"But… you didn't hone…"

Buffy and scarcely heard him. She leaned farther out over the balcony and murmured, "Oh, no… Paige!"

Paige follows Buffy's gaze back to the vampire and sees the girl.

The vampire was still chatting with the girl in the corner. Only new he was motioning her to come with him, and as she finally stepped into view, a sick feeling of dread rose in the of Buffy and Paige's stomachs.

"Isn't that…" Giles began.

"Willow." Buffy and Paige say.

"What is she doing?"

"Taking Buffy's advice. Seizing the moment." Paige threw back at him as she and Buffy started for the stairs.

For one brief instant Buffy and Paige caught a glimpse of them – the vampire and Willow – moving toward the back door near the stage. They fought their way down the steps and through the mobs across the floor, but when they looked again, Willow had disappeared. Worried, Buffy and Paige scanned the room. Buffy looked to Paige, "Where?"

Paige looks around and then, guessing correctly, "Backstage?"

They then head for the backstage door.

The closer they got to the stage, the more crowded it seemed to grow. In frustration, they finally managed to wrestle through the rest of the way and shove open the door.

The shock of the the darkness took Buffy and Paige by surprise, but only for a second. It was empty backstage, cool and strangely muffled. There was no one about, and Buffy and Paige moved slowly, caustiously, along the postered brick walls, ready for anything. They passed an old chair propped in a chorner and on impulse, Buffy snapped off one of its legs, holding it close to her like a makeshift stake.

Paige rolls her eyes, "I had a stake, Buffy."

Buffy looks back at her sister and shrugs.

After the noise and crush of bodies inside the club, the place seemed vast and mysterious. At last they found the exit door. It opened into an alley, but this, too was deserted, and with a growing sense of danger Buffy and Paige headed back for the main door.

They didn't expect him to be there as they turned the corner.

With lightning speed Buffy grabbed the shadowy figure, threw him up against the wall, then held him there, two feet of the ground.

Paige stared fiercely into the vampire's face… And realized the person wasn't a vampire. "Buffy! It's Cordelia."

"Excuse me… could you be any weirder?" Cordelia bursts out. "Is there a more weirdness that you could have?"

Sheepishly, Buffy let the girl down and lowered the stake discreetly to her side.

"God," Cordelia sneered. "What is your childhood trauma?"

Buffy tried to recover herself. She faked a cheerful expression and asked brightly, "Did you guys see Willow? Did she come by here?"

"Why?" Cordelia shot back. "Did you need to attack her with a stick?"

With a red face and shaken nerves, Buffy quickly retreated. Paige smiles at Cordelia and then follows after Buffy.

Buffy and Paige hurried back to the stage door and let themselves into the club. They spotted Giles at once, waiting for them at the foor of the stairs, and they went over to join him.

"That was fast." Giles looked relieved. "Well done. I'd best go to the library. This 'Harvest' is…"

"We didn't find them." Buffy said, hers and Paige's frustrated glances going around the room.

Giles stared at the sisters as though he'd misunderstood. "The vampire's not dead?"

"No, but our social life is on the critical list." Buffy said.

"What do we do?" Giles asks.

"You go on. We'll take care of it." Paige said.

"I should come with you, no?" Giles offered, but Buffy and Paige shook their heads at him and started off again through the crowds.

"Don't worry," Buffy said. "One vampire I can handle. Besides I have Paige with me. She's the only backup I need."

Buffy and Paige couldn't find Willow anywhere.

With growing anxiety, they hurried around from the back of the club and saw Xander coming down the sidewalk, his skateboard tucked under one arm.

"You're leaving already?" Xander asked, but neither Buffy nor Paige was in the mood for chatting.

"Xander, have you seen Willow?" Paige asks.

"Not tonight."

"We need to find her. She left with a guy." Buffy said.

"We are talking about Willow, right?" Xander sounded impressed. "Scoring at the Bronze. Work it, girlfriend."

Buffy and Paige was oblivious to his humor. "Where would they go?" Paige asked.

"Why, you know something about Mr. Goodbar that she doesn't?" Xander pretendend to have a sudden brainstorm and rubbed his hands together. "Oh! Hey. I hope he's not a vampire. 'Cause then Buffy'd have to slay him."

This time he got Buffy and Paige's full attention. With a look of surprise – and undisguised annoyance – they turned back to stare at him.

"Was there a school bulletin? Was it in the news? Is there anybody in this town who doesn't know I'm a Slayer?" Buffy said.

"I only know that you _think_ you're a Slayer, and I only know that because I was in the library today."

"Whatever." Buffy was as well as Paige was painfully aware of the passing of time. "Just tell us where Willow would go."

"You're serious." Xander said.

"We don't find her, there's gonna be another dead body in the morning." Paige said.

Xander hesitated, studying Buffy and Paige's solemn expressions. It dawned on him they weren't kidding. That they were, in fact, very dead serious. "Come on."

Paige shakes her head, "I have a quicker way. Just tell me where."

Xander shakes his head, "Not without me."

Paige sighs and looks at Buffy.

"We don't have time, Paige." Buffy says. "Xander you have to promise what you're about to see you will not tell anyone."

Xander frowns, "Why?" Paige and Buffy glare at him. "Alright, I promise." He tells them where Willow is likely to go.

Paige grabs Buffy and Xander's hands. She makes sure no one is watching and she orbs.

Willow stumbled into a mausoleum, terrified. She couldn't see a thing and she blinked rapidly, trying to adjust her eyes to the dark. After several agonizing seconds, she was able to make out a small room with carved stone walls. A huge tomb took up most of the center.

Willow spun around. She could see her date now, his silhouette filling the entrance to the mausoleum, blocking her escape. Her heart thudded frantically in her ears.

"That wasn't funny." Willow tried to sound calm and in control, but her voice was dangerously close to tears.

The boy didn't respond. Instead he stepped closer, his bathed in shadows. Willow circled away from him, trying to get closer to the door.

"I think I'm gonna go," Willow told him.

"Is that what you think?"

There was no playfulness in his voice. Willow heard the danger there and instinctively took a step back, and then another. And then she turned and squaled as she ran straight into Darla.

Darla seemed to be appraising the situation. She looked first at Willow and then at Willow's date.

"Is this the best you could do?" Darla asked him.

The boy's voice sounded slightly defensive. "She's fresh."

"Hardly enough to share." Darla returned, walking casually down the steps and across the floor.

"Why didn't you bring your own?"

"I did."

Darla indicated the doorway just behind her. As Willow watched in fearful confusion, a very dazed Jesse stumbled in.

"Hey, wait up…" Jesse called to Darla.

"Jesse!" Willow hurried over to him, relieved. He was clutching his neck and looked slightly feverish. In truth, he didn't seem particularly aware that Willow was even there.

"I think you gave me a hickey…" Again he spoke to Darla, who pointedly ignored him.

Willow watched as Jesses took his hand from his neck. She could see blood on his fingers, blood on his through. She gazed at him for a moment in disbelief, then looked at the other two figured behind her, her eyes going wide.

"I got hungry on the way." Darla shrugged.

Willow took hold of Jesse, pulling desperately on his arms. "Jesse, let's get out of here."

"You're not going anywhere." Darla informed Willow.

"Leave us alone." Willow tried to sound forceful, but Darla advanced on her so swiftly that she didn't even have time to back away.

"You're not going anywhere," Darla muttered, "until we've FED!"

As she spat out the last word, she thrust her face right into Willow's. And before Willow's horrified eyes, Darla's face began to change – to shift and slither into something grotesque – rotting skin, teeth gleaming razor sharp, a grin that was as ravenous as it was evil –

Willow screamed. She stumbled backward and fell. Through a haze of terror she could see her date laughing now, circling her slowly, his predator's face every bit as hideous and repulsive as the girl's had been.

Willow knew she was going to die. She watched as the creatures closed in on her, knifelike fingernails reaching out, mouths drooiling, eyes glistening hungrily. When the voice suddenly spoke out behind them, she thought at first that it wasn't – couldn't _possibly_ be – real.

"Well, this is nice." The voice said pleasantly.

Buffy stepped into the room with Xander and Paige following.

Everybody froze.

"A little bare," Buffy observed, running one hand across the dusty tomb, "but a dash of paint, a few throw pillows – call it home."

"Who the hell are you?" Darla growled.

Buffy looks at Paige, "Wow, there's actually somebody around here who doesn't know already."

Paige smiles, "That's a relief."

Buffy nods, "I'm telling you, having a secret identity in this town is a job of work."

"Yeah it is." Paige says.

As Buffy and Paige held their attention, Xander moved in between the two vampires. Nothing had quite prepared the creatures for this unexpected turn of events, and they slowly loosened their grips on Willow and Jesse.

"Buffy, Paige, we bail now, right?" Xander prompted but Willow's date had manage to recover himself a little.

"Not yet," he snarled.

"Okay, first of all, what's with this outfit?" Buffy baited him. "Live in the now, okay? You look like DeBarge." Then turning to Darla, she added, completely unperturbed, "Now, we can do this the hard way, or… well, actually, there's just the hard way."

Darla stood her ground. "Fine with me."

Paige smirks, "You sure? It's not gonna be pretty."

Buffy nods in agreement, "We're talking violence, strong language, adult content."

Even as Buffy and Paige spoke, Willow's date rushed them from behind, charing with lighning speed. With one graceful motion, Buffy whipped a stake out from beneath her jacket and stuck it out behind her. There was a dull puncture sound as the creature impaled himself. He stopped, eyes round with surprise, and then he thudded to the floor.

Buffy and Paige never even looked at him.

As he hit the ground, his body crumbled to dust.

"See what happens when you roughhouse?" Buffy told Darla. "Paige get them out of here."

Xander and Willow are speechless. All they could do was stare at the cold, empty floor where a body had lain only seconds ago. Paige nods and orbs to the other side of the room next to Xander, Willow and Jesse.

Darla was wide eyed and wary, but definitely not cowed. She moved slowly around Buffy, preparing to fight the girl herself.

"He was young," Darla said in disgust. "And stupid."

"Paige, go!" Buffy ordered.

"Don't go far." Darla echoed.

Without warning she lunged at Buffy. Buffy met her head-on parrying Darla's blows with martial arts precision.

Paige looks at Xander, "Grab Willow's and my hand. I've got Jessie's hand." Xander does as he is told as Paige grabs Jessie's hand and orbs them out.

As Buffy got in another effective blow, Darla hit the ground painfully.

"You know; Paige, Dawn and I just wanted to start over," Buffy said peevishly, planting one foot on Darla's chest. "Be like everybody else. Have some friends, maybe a dog… But no. You had to come here. You couldn't go suck on some other town."

"Who are you?" Darla glared up at her, fury in her eyes.

"Don't you know?"

But before Buffy could go on, a pair of hands suddenly grabbed her by the throat and lifted her bodily from the ground.

"I don't care," Luke said slowly.

Buffy hadn't sensed him behind her. As Luke stepped from the shadows. Luke tossed her into the air with no effort at all, hurling her a good fifteen feet. She landed badly and hit the wall with her face.

Luke turned on Darla, who was struggling to get up.

"You were supposed to be bringing an offering for the Master," he berated her. "We're almost at Harvest and you dally with this child?"

"We had someone." Frightened now, Darla tried to defend herself. "But she came and… she killed Thomas… Luke, she's strong."

Luke fixed her with a contemptuous stare. "You go. I'll see if I can handle the little girl."

Buffy was trying to lift herself off the floor when Luke closed in and grabbed her. She knocked his arms away, then kicked him smartly in the face. It sent him back just a little but he receoverdd himself almost instantly, landing a solid punch to her jaw.

"You are strong." Luke muttered. He slammed her back to the ground and gave a throaty laugh. "I'm stronger."

But Buffy had no intention of giving up. Wrestling away from him at last, she got to her feet and circled slowly around the tomb, keeping it safely between her and Luke.

"You're wasting my time," Luke said calmly

"Hey," Buffy retorted, "I had other plans, too, okay?"

Luke shoved at the lid of the tomb. As the heavy stone slap flew straight at her, Buffy leaped over it and jumped on top. With one swift movement, she flipped over and planted both feet solidly on Luke's chest. The momentum caused both of them to fall, but Buffy managed to get up first, pulling out her stake and driving it toward his chest. Luke's hand shot out and grabbed it just before it made contact.

"You think you can stop me?" Luke's face was twisted with rage. "Stop us?"

He squeezed his fist. The stake splintered like a matchstick in his powerful grip and he punched Buffy violently knighting her squeezes – and the stake splinters in his powerful grip. He PUNCHES Buffy, knocks her back.

"You have no idea what you're dealing with," he snarled.

Victorious now, he stood over her. His voice lowered, and he began to intone a sacred text.

"And like a plague of boils, the race of Man covered the earth. But on the third day of the newest light will come over the Harvest when the blood of men will flow as wine. When the Master will walk among them once more, and the world will belong to the Old Ones…" Luke recited.

Outside in the forest Paige, Jesse, Willow and Xander orb in. "Will you guys be alright to make it on your own?"

"We'll get the police," Willow gasped. "It's just a few blocks up…"

Paige nods, "I'm going back to get Buffy." She orbs out. If Paige had waited just a moment longer she would have noticed the three vamps circling around Willow, Jesse and Xander.

Inside the mausoleum Buffy forced her eyes open. She got unsteadily to her feet, all the while keeping her wary gaze on Luke.

"…and hell itself will come to town." Luke finished at last.

Buffy tried to move sideways, to get away from him – but he struck her with savage force. Helplessly she flew backward and landed inside the tomb. She could tell she was badly hurt. She couldn't see Luke anymore, couldn't see anything but the damp, moldy walls of the tomb, though she strained her eyes desperately through the darkness.

Slowly, achingly, she lifted her head. She was really frightened now – more frightened than she'd ever been in her life. Very cautiously she peered over one side of the tomb.

Nothing.

Only silence.

With her heart wildly hammering, Buffy tried to look over the opposite edge.

Luke jumped out of nowhere, roaring triumphantly, filling her vision, filling the room, throwing himself into the crypt on top of her.

She tried to frantically fight him off, but he pinned her with no effort at all. And then he simply stared down at her. Contemplating her with gleeful animal hunger.

His teeth dropped a thick string of spittle. She could feel it sliding over her cheek.

"Amen," Luke grins.

And then he bore down on her.


	2. Chapter 2: The Harvest

**Chapter 2: The Harvest**

Through a haze of terror Buffy could see Luke's monstrous face, his lips curled back from his gums, his fangs bared greedily, moving closer and closer to her neck. She twisted and fought with all her strength, but her struggles were useless against him.

With one quick slash of his fingernails, Luke pulled her shirt open, just wide enough to expose her throat.

Buffy gasped, bracing herself for the quick, searing stab of his teeth.

"Hey fangface. Get off my sister."

Luke looked up as Paige hit him square in the jaw.

Buffy pulled out her Carolingian cross from under her shirt and pressed it against the hand at her throat.

Luke let out a shriek and jumped back. Smoke was streaming from his hand, and he was glaring at his hand, eyes blazing with fury and shock.

Buffy wasted no time. With a burst of renewed energy, she kicked at Luke with both legs, sending him flying from the tomb. Before he could recover, she leaped out and grabbed Paige's hand as her sister orbed out and into the woods not far from where Paige had left Willow, Jesse and Xander.

And then they heard Willow scream. "No! Nooo! Get—off—"

Adrenaline pumping, Buffy looked to Paige and they raced toward the sound of their friend's voice. As they burst upon the scene, they could see Willow on the ground, wrestling with a vampire. The creature held Willow mercilessly in his grasp. He was just going in for her neck when Buffy surprised him, causing him to look up.

It was just the chance Buffy needed.

With one swift kick to his face, she sent the vampire sprawling backward. He gave a grunt of pain, then staggered to his feet, holding his nose and trying to get away from her.

Buffy stood there a second, catching her breath. All her senses were at their most alert now, and she furiously scanned her surroundings. She heard a cracking sound followed by unmistakable scuffling, and again she took off, leaving Paige and Willow, who was still sitting there on the ground, her eyes huge with fright, her body trembling. Paige let Willow sit awhile longer, pulling herself together, then at last she got up and she and Paige followed the path Buffy had taken.

It didn't take Buffy long to find what she was looking for. Almost immediately she caught sight of Xander, his unconscious body being dragged away by two more vampires. As they sensed an unwelcome presence behind them, the vampires slowly turned around.

It wasn't Buffy they saw, suddenly appearing through the trees. It was Willow and Paige. As Willow realized that Xander was in mortal danger, she seemed to change right before their eyes, her expression fiercely threatening as Paige pulled out a stake.

The vampires turned back again, but Buffy stood there blocking their escape. It was easy to take them both out. With one quick punch, Buffy knocked them off their feet and they scrambled to get up and get away.

But they didn't scramble fast enough as Paige held up her hand and the stake orbed to Buffy.

Buffy charged one vampire, nailing him neatly through the chest, while the other fled for his life.

Willow ran up to Xander and knelt beside him, cradling his head in her arms. To her relief he seemed to be coming to, and after blinking a few times, he frowned up at her, trying to get his bearings.

"Xander . . . are you okay?" Willow asked softly.

"Man . . ." Xander still seemed a little disoriented. "Something hit me . . ."

Buffy walked a few paces, peering hard through the trees, her expression solemn and worried. "Where's Jesse?"

For the first time Willow seemed to realize that Jesse was missing. "I don't know," she shook her head.

"They surrounded us—he was really weak . . ."

"That girl grabbed him," Xander mumbled. "Took off."

"Which way?" Paige demanded, but Xander looked blank.

"I don't know."

Buffy stared into the night. She honed all her senses, reaching out, straining through the darkness—but there was nothing . . .

Nothing at all.

Buffy and Paige's hearts felt heavy and sad.

"Jesse . . ." Buffy whispered.

Paige shook her head as she blamed herself for Jesse, "I'm sorry, Buffy. If I had known I wouldn't have left them. I thought I had orbed them far enough away."

Buffy looked to her sister and nodded, "It's ok, Paige."

Things certainly didn't look any brighter the next morning.

Even in the peaceful calm of the school library, a feeling of doom hung thick in the air. No one had gotten any sleep, and Jesse was still missing. Giles stood at the railing on the upper level of bookshelves and tried to give Xander and Willow an explanation for what was happening.

"This world is older than any of you know," he told them solemnly, spinning a globe for emphasis. "And contrary to popular mythology, it did not begin as a paradise. For untold eons, demons walked the earth. Made it their home . . . their hell."

Willow and Xander both listened intently, their expressions every bit as grave as Giles's own.

"In time they lost their purchase on this reality," he continued, carrying an armload of books down the stairs, "and the way was made for the mortal animals. For man. What remains of the Old Ones are vestiges. Certain magics, certain creatures . . ."

"And vampires," Buffy added.

Xander stood up, clearly agitated.

"Okay, this is where I have a problem, see, because we're now talking about vampires." He frowned. "We're having a talk with vampires in it."

"Isn't that what we saw last night?" Willow asked.

"No, those weren't vampires," Paige quipped. "Those were just some guys in thundering need of a facial. Or maybe they had rabies—coulda been rabies. And that guy turning to dust . . . just a trick of the light." She ignored the look Xander gave her and regarded him with total understanding. "That's exactly what I said the first time Buffy and I saw a vampire. I mean, when I was done with the screaming part."

"Oooh . . ." Willow murmured. "I need to sit down."

"You are sitting down," Paige reminded her.

"Oh." Willow gave a vacant nod. "Good for me."

"So vampires are demons?" Xander went on, while Giles again tried to clarify.

"The books tell that the last demon to leave this reality fed off a human, mixed their blood. He was a human form possessed—infected—by the demon's soul." Dawn said as Giles handed Xander one of the heavy volumes. "He bit another, and another..."

"And so they walk the earth feeding. Killing some, mixing their blood with others to make more of their kind. Waiting for the animals to die out and the Old Ones to return." Giles said. "There is only one thing that stands between us and them."

"And that would be a what?" Xander asked.

"As long as there have been vampires, there has been the Slayer," Dawn recited. "One girl in all the world—"

"Dawnie loves doing this part," Buffy interrupted.

"All right. They hunt vampires, one Slayer dies, the next is called, Buffy is the Slayer, don't tell anyone." Giles stopped and drew a breath. "I think that's all the vampire information you need."

"Except for two things," Xander spoke up. "How do you kill them? And how did Paige do her thing?"

"You don't," Buffy corrected him. "I do."

"My thing?" Paige asked.

"The teleportation thing with the lights." Xander said before looking to Buffy. "Well, Jesse—"

"Jesse's my responsibility. I let him get taken." Buffy said.

"It's called orbing. I don't know how I can do it. I just been able to since I was 12. It's in part why I and Dawn are witches." Paige said.

Xander frowned. "That's not true."

Giles frowned, "Witches?"

"If you and Paige hadn't shown up," Willow added loyally, "they would have . . . taken us, too. . . . Does anybody mind if I pass out?"

Paige sighed, "Yes Dawn and I practice witchcraft. I practice more Wiccan. Dawn uses a wand though she can do Wiccan also."

"Breathe . . ." Dawn ordered her.

Willow nodded. "Breathe."

"Breathe," Buffy said.

Giles nodded and thought for a moment, "I thought when Merrick mentioned you two had abilities they were more along the lines of what Buffy had. Maybe we should discuss this later, Paige. Dawn."

"Okay." Paige and Dawn said.

"This big guy, Luke, he talked about an offering to the Master. I don't know who or what that was, but if they weren't just feeding, Jesse may still be alive. Paige and I are gonna find him." Buffy said.

Calmer now, Willow offered a suggestion. "This is probably a dumb question, but shouldn't we call the police?"

"And they'd believe us, of course," Paige replied.

"We don't have to say vampires," Willow stammered. "We could say there was . . . a bad man."

Buffy shook her head consolingly. "They couldn't handle it if they did come. They'd only show up with guns."

"Neither of you have an idea where they took Jesse?" Giles asked Buffy and Paige..

"I looked around, but . . . soon as they got clear of the woods they could have just—" Buffy made a quick motion with her hand."—whoom."

"Can they fly?" Xander looked surprised.

"They can drive." Dawn replied.

"Oh."

Willow tried to think back. "I don't remember hearing a car."

"Well, let's take an enormous intuitive leap and say they went underground," Giles said.

"Vampires really jam on sewer systems," Buffy agreed.

"You can get anywhere in town without catching any rays." Paige said.

"I didn't see any access around there, though. Did you Paige?" Buffy said.

Paige shook her head, "No."

Xander shrugged. "Well, there's electrical tunnels. They run under the whole town."

For a moment Giles considered this. "If we had a diagnostic of the tunnel system, it might indicate a meeting place. I suppose we could go to the building commission—"

"We so don't have time," Buffy cut him off.

"Uh, guys?" Willow said tentatively. "There may be another way."

Dawn looked to Willow and nodded, "Let's see who the better hacker is."

They both get on a computer and pull up a map of the electrical tunnels.

"There it is," Buffy said eagerly.

Paige looked at her watch and nodded, "Dawn beat ya by like five seconds, Willow."

Dawn and Willow sat at the computer while everyone else gathered around them. Showing on the screen was a complete map of the city's electrical tunnels.

"This runs under the graveyard," Willow explained, pointing to one in particular, but Xander shook his head.

"I don't see any access."

"So all the city plans are just open to the public?" Giles asked.

"Uh, well, in a way," Dawn said.

"I sort of stumbled onto them when I accidentally . . . decrypted the city council's security system." Willow said.

Dawn looked at Willow, "How long did it take you to do that?"

Paige coughed, "Compare records for hacking later, Dawn."

Xander's focus remained on the screen. "Someone's been naughty . . ."

"There's nothing here," Buffy sounded disappointed. "This is useless!"

"I think you should ease up on yourself," Giles consoled Buffy.

Paige wisely kept her mouth shut even though she agreed with Giles.

Buffy turned on Giles, obviously distressed.

"You're the one who told me I wasn't prepared enough. Understatement. I thought I was on top of it, and then that monster Luke came out of nowhere—"

She broke off abruptly and Xander glanced up at her.

"What?" Xander asked.

But Buffy was remembering the scenes from the past night playing out perfectly in her mind. "He didn't come out of nowhere," she said excitedly. "He came from behind me. I was facing the entrance." She looked at the other five faces around her. "The access to the tunnels is in the mausoleum."

"Are you sure?" Giles straightened.

Paige thought about it for a moment, "There was a gate at the back of the mausoleum. Dang I'm stupid."

Buffy looked to Paige, "No you're not, Paige. I missed it also." She then looked back at the rest of the group. "The girl must have doubled back with Jesse after Paige and I got out."

Xander stepped back, ready for action. "So what's the plan? We saddle up, right?"

"There's no 'we,'" Buffy corrected him. "I'm the Slayer and you're not. Paige can do magic and can orb me there."

"I knew you were gonna throw that in my face," Xander grumbled.

"Xander, this is deeply dangerous." Buffy said.

"I'm inadequate. That's fine. I'm less than a man."

Xander turned his back on her and walked off. With a sympathetic glance in Xander's direction, Willow appealed to Buffy.

"Buffy, I'm not anxious to go into a dark place full of monsters, but I do want to help. I need to."

"Then help me," Giles replied without hesitation. "I've been researching this Harvest affair. Seems to be some sort of preordained massacre. Rivers of blood, hell on earth . . . quite charmless. I am fuzzy on the details, however, and it may be that you can wrest some information from that dread machine."

He paused, glancing from one uncomprehending look to another.

"That was a bit British, wasn't it?" he admitted, embarrassed.

Paige smiled. "Welcome to the new world."

"I want you to go on the Net," Giles translated.

"Oh!" Willow brightened. "Yeah. Sure. I can do that."

Dawn nodded, "I'll help. It's what I did before anyways. I'm still a little young to go patrolling anyways."

Buffy looked at Dawn, "I just want to protect you for a little bit longer, okay."

Dawn smiled, "I know, Buffy. And you know what I don't mind. I like helping you and Paige this way."

Buffy smiled and ruffled her younger sister's hair. "Then Paige and I are out of here. If Jesse's alive, we'll bring him back."

Giles stepped forward, his grave expression softening. "Do I have to tell you two to be careful?"

Buffy met his eyes for a long moment then she grabbed Paige's hand as she orbed out.

Dawn, Willow and Xander left the library and went out into the hall. The bell had rung and students were already filing into their classes.

"Murder, death, disaster," Willow mumbled, making a list in her notebook as they walked. "What else?"

"Paranormal, unexplained." Xander thought a minute, then asked, "You got natural disasters?"

Willow gave him a nod. "Earthquake, flood . . ."

"Rain of toads." Dawn added.

"Right." Willow said.

"Rain of toads." Xander's tone bordered on disbelief. "Are they really gonna have anything like that in the paper?"

"I'll put it on the search. If it's in there, it'll turn up. Anything that'll lead us to vampires."

Xander looked grumpy. "And I, meanwhile, will help by standing around like an idiot."

"Not like an idiot," Willow soothed him. "Just standing."

"Buffy doesn't want you getting hurt." Dawn said. "Trust me I know."

Willow cast Xander a sidelong glance, "I don't want you getting hurt."

They'd reached Dawn and Willow's class. The three of them stood side by side outside the door.

"This is just too much," Xander sighed. "Yesterday my life is like, 'Oh, no. Pop quiz.' Today—rain of toads."

"I know," Willow agreed, looking around at all the other students. "And everyone else thinks it's just a normal day."

"That's what we call the forgetful syndrome." Dawn said. "Most people unless its thrust right in their face will forget it by the next day."

Paige and Buffy orbed into the mausoleum as they looked around.

Except for the feeble light angling in from the doorway, it was just as dark in here as it had been the past night. They reached the iron door on the opposite side of the room. Buffy tried it, but it was locked. Standing there, she lowered her arms to her sides and let out a long, slow breath. Without turning around, she said, "I don't suppose you've got a key on you?"

Paige's eyes go wide as she knew Buffy is likely not talking to her.

For a moment, no one answered.

And then their mysterious "friend" stepped from the shadows, a faint smile in his eyes.

"They really don't like me dropping in," he answered.

"Why not?" Paige asked.

"They really don't like me."

Buffy couldn't help her sarcasm. "How could that possibly be?"

"I knew you'd both figure out this entryway sooner or later," he said, changing the subject. "Actually, I thought it was gonna be a little sooner."

"I'm sorry you had to wait," Buffy retorted. "Look, if you're gonna be popping up with this cryptic wise-man act on a regular basis, can you at least tell us your name?"

Another silence. Then, "Angel."

"Angel." They waited for a last name. When he didn't respond, Buffy added somewhat offhandedly, "It's a pretty name."

"Don't go down there." The warning was calm, matter-of-fact. Buffy shrugged it off.

"Deal with our going."

"You two shouldn't be putting yourselves at risk. Tonight is the Harvest. Unless either of you can prevent it," his voice dropped to a whisper, "the Master walks."

"If this Harvest thing is such a suckfest, as my sister would say, why don'tyou stop it?" Paige asked.

"Because I'm afraid."

It was an answer they hadn't expected and wasn't the least prepared for. The unashamed openness of his confession caught the sisters completely off guard. They stared at him, at his face silhouetted in the dim light.

Buffy kicked the door open.

"They'll be expecting you," Angel said.

"We've got a friend down there—or a potential friend." Almost as an afterthought, Buffy joked, "Do you know what it's like to have a friend?"

Angel didn't answer. Buffy paused, a note of gentleness creeping into her voice.

"That wasn't supposed to be a stumper," Buffy told him.

"When you hit the tunnels, head east, toward the school. That's where you're likely to find them."

"Thanks," Paige said.

"You gonna wish us luck?" Buffy asked.

Again Angel was silent. Buffy and Paige gazed at him, then they turned abruptly and headed into the darkness.

Angel watched them go.

He stood there for a long while without moving, and his face held quiet concern.

"Good luck," he said softly.

The tunnels spread like a forbidden maze beneath the city. Dark and twisting, they ran in all directions, and as Paige and Buffy made their way carefully down a flight of steps, they wondered if they'd ever find her way out again.

They stood for a moment, taking in their surroundings. Damp, fetid air washed over them, and there was a faraway echo of dripping water. When a rat scurried across Buffy's foot, she didn't even flinch. Instead she squared her shoulders, looked at Paige and chose one tunnel, and the sisters started down.

Buffy and Paige moved slowly, their senses groping into every crack and crevice, through every thick bank of shadows. It was a perfect breeding ground for the undead, they thought grimly—and they knew they could be anywhere at all, watching them, waiting. With the murky blackness flowing over the sisters, they continued along the tunnel, heart pounding wildly in their chests.

They came to a corner and turned. This new passageway seemed to be empty, but still they hesitated a moment longer, ears straining through the eerie quiet. Once more they started forward, every nerve on edge.

Buffy thought she heard something then and touched Paige's arm causing her to come up short. Spinning around, Buffy and Paige sneaked back the way they'd come and Buffy peered around a wall into yet another tunnel.

Shadows, but nothing more. A vague hum of indistinct noise, but nothing Buffy could really identify. She pulled her head back . . .

And realized he was standing behind her and Paige.

For one horrible instant Buffy froze. Her body tensed, prepared for attack, and she whirled around, right into a familiar face.

"Did you see anything?"

Paige jumped slightly as she turned to face Xander, "Xander! What are you doing here?"

"Something stupid. I followed you two. Well as best as I could with that orbing thing," Xander didn't seem at all contrite. "I couldn't just sit around not doing anything."

Buffy stared at him, not knowing whether to laugh or scream. "I understand. Now go away."

"No!" Xander said.

"Xander, you're gonna have to!" Paige said.

"Jesse's my bud, okay?" Xander insisted. "If I can help him, then that's what I gotta do."

Buffy weighed the sincerity of his words.

"Besides," Xander added, "it's this or chem class."

Buffy sighed.

Paige looked at her sister's face seeing that she accepts what he said. "Buffy you're not seriously going too."

Buffy turned to face Paige, "If it were you or Dawn I would be doing the exact same thing Xander here is, sneaking off to help rescue you or Dawn."

Paige sighed, "Okay. I'd do the same thing if it were you or Dawn also."

Without further argument, they continued down the tunnel, reaching the end and pausing to listen.

There was nothing around the next corner.

Relieved, they turned into still another passageway, their eyes searching the shadows. They kept close to each other, bodies tense, ready for anything.

"Okay," Xander said, trying to prepare himself. "So, crosses, garlic, stake through the heart."

"That'll get it done," Buffy assured him.

"Cool. Of course, I don't actually have any of those things." Xander said.

Buffy gave Paige who nodded as she pulled a cross from her bag. "I always come prepared." Paige said as she handed the cross to Xander.

"Good thinking." Buffy said.

"Well, the part of my brain that would tell me to bring that stuff is still busy telling me not to come down here," Xander defended himself. "I brought this, though."

He produced a flashlight and flicked it on. The bright beam of light stabbed through the darkness, illuminating seeping walls and oozing puddles underfoot.

"Turn that off!" Paige hissed while Xander scrambled to do so.

"Okay, okay," Xander complied. "So, what else?"

"What else what?" Buffy asked.

"For vampire slayage."

Paige sighed. "Fire, beheading, sunlight, holy water . . . the usual."

"So," Xander's voice sounded a little weak. "You two have done some beheadings in your time?"

"Oh, yeah. There was this one time, I was pinned down by this vampire, he played left tackle for the varsity—I mean, before he was . . . well anyway, he's got one of those really thick necks, and all I've got is a little X-Acto knife—" Buffy broke off abruptly as Xander gaped at her.

"You're not loving this story," she accused him.

Xander managed to suppress a shudder. "Actually," he mumbled, "I find it oddly comforting."

Paige laughed, "Be glad that story is comforting. Cause if we told you about some of the things we have seen. You would be wetting your bed tonight, literally."

"Are we going to the Bronze tonight?" Harmony asked Cordelia.

They were in computer class—definitely not one of Cordelia's favorites. And today—like all other days—even though everyone else was working diligently on their assignments, devising programs was the furthest thing from Cordelia's mind.

Now she glanced over at Harmony, her class partner, who was also struggling to make sense of their project, and Harmony realized that Cordelia hadn't heard her question.

"No!" Cordelia burst out in total frustration. "It's supposed to find the syntax and match it. Or, wait . . ."

Harmony kept her eyes on the keyboard, typing slowly. "Are we going to the Bronze tonight?" she asked again.

"No," Cordelia retorted. "We're going to the other cool place in Sunnydale."

Harmony gave her a blank look, and Cordelia sighed.

"Of course we're going to the Bronze! Friday night, no cover. But you should have been there last night."

Harmony didn't ask what had happened. Instead she just frowned at their program. "I think we did this part wrong."

"Why do we have to devise these programs?" Cordelia asked irritably. "Isn't that what nerds are for?"

She glanced at the desks beside them where Dawn and Willow were sitting. "What did they do?" she mumbled.

Harmony craned over to look at Dawn and Willow. The girls were obviously lost in their own world, whatever that could possibly be. They were bringing things up on the Net and was completely engrossed in their work, typing intently, scrolling, and searching for God knew what...

Harmony shrugged and looked at Cordelia. "Uh, they're doing something else."

Cordelia glared. Sure enough, the nerd girls were busy at the next terminals, their foreheads creased in total concentration. Cordelia dismissed them with a sneer and went back to holding court.

"Okay," she said to Harmony, trying half-heartedly to focus on their assignment. "And then 'Pattern Run,' right? Or 'Go To End.' That's it."

Harmony looked completely lost. "Maybe . . . I think . . ."

"Well, what does the book say?" Cordelia was practically out of patience. As Harmony looked up the procedure, Cordelia tried once more to interest her in some gossip. "So anyway," she went on, "I come out of the bathroom and they come running at me with sticks, screaming, 'We're gonna kill you! We're gonna kill you!' I swear."

Dawn glared briefly at Cordelia. Buffy and Paige had told her what happened last night and what Cordelia had just said never happened.

"Who?" Jared asked. He was one of the cutest guys in class, and he leaned eagerly from his desk now to listen.

With smug satisfaction Cordelia realized she'd finally hooked an audience.

"Buffy," she told him.

"The new girl," Harmony echoed.

Jared looked puzzled. "What's her deal?"

"She's crazed!" Cordelia said.

"Did you hear about her old school?" Harmony asked conspiratorily. "Booted."

"I exhibit no surprise," Cordelia declared.

Jared leaned closer. "Why was she kicked out?"

"'Cause she's a psycholoony," Cordelia said.

"No, she's not."

The voice was totally unexpected. It spoke out firmly and calmly, and the other three turned to look.

Dawn sat staring at them. Cordelia stared back. No one—noone—evercontradicted Cordelia, and it took an endless moment for the reality of the situation to actually sink in.

"What?" Cordelia leveled her with an icy gaze.

"My sister she's not a psycho," Dawn said.

Willow nodded. "You don't even know her."

Cordelia's voice rose indignantly. "Excuse me? Who gave you two permission to exist? Do I horn in on your private discussions? No. Why? Because you're boring."

"And who gave you permission to breathe," Dawn said. "You really expect me to sit here and listen to you bash my sister." She looked to Harmony and Jared. "Not that you two will believe me over Cordelia. But what she told you was a complete and utter fabrication. My sisters never said no such thing."

Dawn stood with Willow and they gathered some pages that had come up on the printer. Cordelia and the others turned back to their projects.

"There." Harmony sounded relieved. "I think the program's done."

Cordelia nodded. "Finally the nightmare ends. Now how do we save it?"

Dawn and Willow were just going out the door. Willow glanced back and said, "Deliver."

Dawn smiled, there was no deliver button. She was sure of what Willow was doing. Getting Cordelia to accidentally hit delete.

"Deliver." Cordelia stared at the screen. "Where is that—oh!"

She spotted the key marked DEL. She tapped it smartly with one finger.

There was a long pause.

Cordelia and Harmony kept their eyes upon the computer screen. They watched as their program faded, then melted away . . . while their own smiles melted into utter bewilderment.

As Willow and Dawn walked down the hallway away from the computer lab they could be heard laughing.

"They're close," Buffy said.

Paige nodded, having noticed that there are no rats.

They'd been walking quite a while without speaking. Tunnel after tunnel melted into nothingness behind them, and their uneasiness continued to grow. There was no comfortable banter between them now. The air was heavy, thick with a dark, dangerous expectancy, and Buffy frowned as she scanned the blackness with worried eyes.

"How can you tell?" Xander asked nervously.

"No more rats." Buffy said.

It wasn't exactly the information he wanted to hear, but Xander said nothing. They passed through several more tunnels before he spoke again.

"Over there." He stopped, pointing. "What's that?"

Ahead of them was a small, gloomy side chamber. They could just barely make out the outline of a doorway, but past that, nothing.

After a quick glance behind them, the three walked closer. Xander pulled out his flashlight and played it slowly over the entrance.

The light shone faintly just beyond the opening. Over the motionless shape of a body, lying facedown on the ground.

Xander drew a quick, sudden breath. "Jesse!"

"Oh, no . . ." Buffy and Paige murmured.

They started forward as Xander kept the light focused on her. Reaching Jesse, Buffy and Paige held out their arms to help him.

Jesse leaped at them without warning, a heavy pipe brandished in his fist. As he prepared to bring it down on her head, Xander's voice rang out.

"Jesse!"

Jesse stopped, amazed. "Xander?"

With a look of sheer relief, Jesse dropped his weapon. He walked slowly toward his friend, meeting Xander's hug with one of his own. After a moment, Xander pulled away, holding Jesse at arm's length, looking him over.

"Jesse, man, are you okay?"

"I'm not okay on an epic scale." Jesse made a frail attempt at humor. "We gotta get out of here!"

He pointed to his leg. A heavy chain held him fast to a metal ring in the wall.

"It's cool!" Xander assured him. "Buffy and Paige are superheroes!"

At the mention of their names, the superheroes looked at each other and frowned.

"Okay. Shall we orb out. That will be the easiest way of getting Jesse out of here without messing with the chain." Buffy said.

"Orb?" Jesse asks.

Paige rolled her eyes. "Xander just like last night."

Xander nodded and grabbed Jesse's hand.

"Dude!" Jesse said as he yanked his hand from Xander. "What's with the hand holding?"

Paige sighed, "You want to stay fine. But if you want to get out of here you got to either be physically touching me or someone who is physically touching me."

Jesse frowned. He was supposed to be bait. How could he be bait if he didn't play along. So he took Xander's hand as Paige orbed out and onto the street above into the afternoon sunlight. Jesse started to smoke and as he ran for the shadows to try and get out of the sun he dusted.

Xander looked shocked at where his friend stood seconds earlier, "Jesse?"

Buffy sighed, "Dang he was turned."

Paige nodnodded, "Sorry Xander."

Giles was still poring intently over his notes. When he suddenly realized that someone had entered the library, he glanced up, his voice hopeful.

"Buffy?"

Willow shook her head, looking apologetic. "It's just me and Dawn. So there's no word?"

Giles's face fell. "Not as yet." He looked very tired as he took off his glasses.

"Well, I'm sure they're . . . great," Willow offered, trying to reassure herself as much as him.

"Did you find anything of interest?" he asked them.

Dawn and Willow sat down, spreading out the copied articles so he could see.

"I think maybe. We looked through the old papers, around the time of that big earthquake back in 'Thirty-seven." Willow placed her finger on one of the pages.

"And for several months before it, there was a rash of murders." Dawn said.

"Great!" Giles straightened and put his glasses back on. "I mean, not great in a good way. . . . Go on."

Willow obligingly began flipping through the articles. "They sound like the kind you were looking for. Throats, blood. Months, and not even a clue."

"It's all coming together." He nodded. And then, with an anxious glance at Dawn and Willow, "I rather wish it weren't."

The time was drawing nearer.

The Harvest was at hand.

Paige, Buffy and Xander orbed into the library. As Giles and Willow stared open mouthed at their disheveled appearance, to Dawn their appearance was nothing new. It was painfully obvious that nothing good had come of their search though. Still, Willow couldn't help asking.

"Did you find Jesse?" she asked, though deep down she was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

Xander confirmed it with a terse reply. He wouldn't even look at her. "Yeah."

"Worse," Paige echoed.

"I'm sorry, Willow," Buffy said. "We were too late. And they were waiting for us."

Willow shook her head. "At least you three are okay."

"You are okay?" Dawn asked her sisters

Paige smiled, "Yeah, were okay."

"I don't like vampires," Xander burst out. He aimed his foot at a trash can, kicking it in frustration. "I'm gonna take a stand and say they're not good."

Buffy turned to her sister and the Watcher. "So, Dawn, Giles, you two got anything that can make this day worse?"

"How about the end of the world?" Dawn replied calmly.

"I knew I could count on you." Buffy said as she ruffled her baby sister's hair.

"This is what we know," Giles said. "Some sixty years ago, a very old, very powerful vampire came to this shore, and not just to feed."

Buffy and Paige sat down at the table. They rested their chins on their hands. "He came 'cause this town is a mystical whoosit?" Buffy asked.

"Yes. The Spanish who first settled here called it Boca Del Infierno—roughly translated: Hellmouth." Dawn said.

Giles began pacing. "A sort of portal from this reality to the next. This vampire hoped to open it."

"Bring the demons back." Paige said.

"End of the world," Xander clarified.

"But he blew it," Willow picked up the story. "Or, I mean, there was an earthquake that swallowed about half the town. And him, too—or at least there were no more vampire-type killings afterward."

Giles looked thoughtful as he pulled up a chair. "Opening dimensional portals is tricky business. Odds are he got himself stuck. Like a cork in a bottle."

"And this Harvest thing is to get him out?" Xander asked.

"It comes once in a century. On this night." Dawn said.

Giles stood and crossed to a chalkboard where he'd rendered several mysterious diagrams. He began to design several more as he explained.

"A Master can draw power from one of his minions while it feeds. Enough power to break free and to open the portal. The minion is called the Vessel, and he bears this symbol."

He paused, pointing to a sketch of the three-pointed star.

Buffy looked to her sisters, "That's eerily reminiscent…" Paige and Dawn nodded knowing what she meant as they each touched the Carolingian cross around their necks "So," Buffy made an attempt at cheerfulness. "I dust anyone sporting this look, and no Harvest."

"Simply put," Giles responded, "yes."

"Any clue where this little get-together is being held?" Buffy asked.

"Well, there are a number of possibilities—"

Before Giles could finish, Xander broke in. "They're going to the Bronze."

The room went silent. They all stared at him.

"Are you sure?" Willow looked surprised, but Xander simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Come on, tasty young morsels all over the place. Anyway, that's where Jesse's gonna be. Trust me."

"Then we need to get there." Giles's voice was tense. "The sun will be down before long."

The four of them headed out the door, but Buffy suddenly turned in another direction.

"I gotta make a stop," she explained. "Won't take long."

"What for?" Giles asked.

Paige gave a secretive smile. "Supplies." She grabbed her sisters hands and orbed out.

Dusk was already beginning to fall as Paige orbed in to the backyard of the Summers residence with Buffy and Dawn. They immediately entered the house and made their way into Buffy and Paige's room.

"Buffy?" Joyce Summers called from the hallway. "Paige?"

Buffy, Paige and Dawn heard her, but they didn't respond. Buffy started rummaging through her closet as their mother finally entered the bedroom. If you are born to be a Slayer, Buffy reasoned, you have to look the part—you can't wear just any old outfit to the Harvest . . .

But Paige on the other hand thought what Buffy had on was good enough.

"You two are going out?" Joyce asked, standing behind Buffy.

Paige and Buffy heard the frown in their mom's voice.

"We have to." Buffy said.

There was a pause. Then her mother said just as casually, "I didn't hear you come in last night."

Paige thought quickly. "We were quiet." Of course they had been quiet as Paige had orbed them in as it had been late when they got back.

This time the silence wasn't pleased. And it bordered dangerously on disappointment. "It's happening again, isn't it?" Joyce sighed.

Buffy stopped rummaging. She straightened up, turned, and fixed her mother with a level gaze that was matched by both of her sisters.

"I got a call from your new principal," Joyce went on. "Says you two missed some classes today."

"We were . . . running an errand." Buffy said as she looked to Paige.

Buffy turned back to the closet. She pulled out an old trunk, opened it, and began going through the contents.

"We haven't finished unpacking, and I'm getting calls from your principal," Joyce worried.

Dawn sighed.

"Mom, I promise you, it's not gonna be like before." An edge of desperation crept into Paige's voice. "But we have to go."

"No."

Paige and Buffy couldn't believe what they were hearing. "Mom . . ." Buffy said.

The sisters glanced up at the window, at the thickly spreading darkness. Joyce awkwardly stood her ground.

"The tapes all say I should get used to saying it," she explained to Buffy, Paige and Dawn, sounding almost defensive. "No."

"This is really, really important," Paige said pleading.

"I know. You have to go out or it'll be the end of the world. Everything is life or death when you're a sixteen-year-old or even a fourteen-year-old girl."

"Mom, we don't have time to talk about it—" Buffy started.

"You've got all night, Paige, Buffy. You two are not going anywhere. Now you two can stay up here and sulk if you want. I won't hold it against you." Joyce took a deep breath. "But if you want to come down, I'll make us some dinner."

She left, closing the door quietly but firmly behind her. Buffy, Paige and Dawn stared after her for a moment, then Buffy reached down into the trunk.

Dawn sighed, "How come we can't tell her? It would be so much easier for you to do your job if she knew."

Buffy looked at her youngest sister, "Because it would be dangerous for her, Dawn. The only reason I let you and Paige help is because you guys are witches. You both have magic you can use to help me. Mom doesn't, I don't want to take the risk if something might happen if she found out."

Buffy groped along the bottom, then lifted it out. No one but other than the sisters knew that the trunk had a false bottom.

And no one but them knew about the secret cache that lay beneath it—the stakes and crosses, the garlic, the widemouthed jar of holy water. Quickly Buffy gathered everything up and stuffed them into a bag.

Then, almost reverently, Buffy withdrew one particularly deadly looking stake. It fit in her hand as if it were part of it, a normal extension of her arm. This she slid carefully up into her sleeve.

Paige checked her own jacket to make sure her own stake was still safely hidden away.

"Be careful, okay." Dawn said.

Paige smiled, "Don't worry, Dawnie."

Dawn nodded and opened the bedroom door and slipped out closing it behind her as she went downstairs to keep their mother away from Buffy and Paige's room.

Paige grasped Buffy's hand and orbed out.

There was no one outside when Buffy and the others finally reached the Bronze. Buffy struggled to get the front door open, but it wouldn't budge.

"It's locked," Buffy told them.

Giles looked almost sick. "We're too late."

"Well, we didn't know we were gonna get grounded!" Paige almost yelled at him.

"Can you break it down?" Xander asked, but Buffy shook her head.

"Not this thing."

Xander nodded, "How about that thing you do Paige?"

Paige sighed, "Without knowing what I'm orbing into. It's better not to try."

"You guys try the back entrance. Paige and I will find our own way." Buffy said.

"Right." Giles glanced from Xander to Willow. "Come on."

"Guys!" Buffy called out to them.

The three stopped. Buffy handed them her bag.

"You get the exit cleared, and you get people out," Buffy instructed them. "That's all. Don't go Wild Bunch on me."

"See you on the inside," Giles promised.

They took off around the building.

"Do you remember the layout inside?" Buffy asked.

Paige nodded, "Balcony?"

Buffy smiled and nodded. Paige grabbed her sister's hand and they orbed.

An oblivious vampire stood with his back to Paige and Buffy as they orbed onto the balcony inside the Bronze. No one saw them standing there, sizing up the situation.

"I feel him rising!" Luke shouted. "I need another!"

Paige and Buffy stared at the three-pointed star on his forehead.

"The Vessel . . ." Buffy murmured to herself.

"He's the one you got to take out." Paige said.

The vampire on duty had finally noticed them. As he turned and grabbed her, Buffy felt herself being hauled to the middle of the balcony, another potential offering for Luke. Paige drew out a stake and chased after the vampire and Buffy.

Luke was still of Paige and Buffy's intrusion. "Tonight is his ascension," he informed the horrified onlookers.

"Tonight will be history at its end! Yours is a glorious sacrifice. Degradation most holy."

He stopped, his evil gaze sliding from one face to another.

"What, no volunteers?" he mocked.

And then Darla emerged, holding Cordelia.

"Here's a pretty one," she said.

"Nooo . . ." Cordelia struggled, but to no avail. As she started to cry, Darla dragged her toward the stage and handed her over to Luke.

The activity had momentarily distracted Buffy's captor. With one quick movement, she slipped from the vampire's grasp and threw him off the balcony. Paige flipped the stake and sent it flying at the vampire. As he landed on his back right in front of the stage he dusted.

The room plunged into shocked silence.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Buffy said. "Were you in the middle of something?"

Looking up, Luke's face contorted with fury. "YOU!"

"You didn't think we'd miss this, did you?" Paige tossed at him.

The anger drained from Luke's expression.

His lips curled in a dangerous smile.

"I hoped you'd both come," he said.

A vampire rushed Buffy and Paige from the side. Grabbing him easily, Buffy tossed him into the hookah pit, where he tried to scramble back up. Buffy did a backward flip, sailed through the hole, and landed on top of a pool table. There was a cue lying there. With one simple handspring, she grabbed it and landed neatly on her feet.

Paige orbed down next to Buffy, her back to her. Paige brought out her second, and last, stake as a vampire came at them.

Without looking at him, Paige jammed the stake into his heart. There was a soft sound of punctured flesh and when she pulled back out the vampire dusted.

"Okay, Vessel-boy." Buffy stared straight at Luke, challenge flashing in her eyes. "You want blood?"

"I want yours," Luke snarled at Buffy. Then he remembered what Paige had said in the mausoleum. "Only yours and your sisters."

"Then come and get it." Paige smirked.

Seeing her chance, Cordelia tried to break free of Luke's grasp. He flung her roughly away just as Buffy leaped at him and slammed her fist into his face. Luke was shocked at her strength. He stumbled back in pain.

Almost instantly he came back at her. Buffy ducked and met his face again, this time with a roundhouse kick. She whipped out her stake and took aim, but he blocked her with a blow to her face. Badly hurt now, Buffy skidded into the corner. The stake fell at Luke's feet.

As the crowd panicked and shoved in all directions, the backstage door burst open. Xander stumbled out and nearly fell, but recovered himself at once. He took a quick look around, saw that the immediate vicinity was free of vampires, and instantly began herding people out.

"Come on!" he yelled.

As fast as he could direct them, Xander moved the panicky crowd through the door. Willow and Giles waited backstage to push everyone safely toward the exit.

Luke was closing in.

Buffy kicked him fiercely in the chest, sending him back against the wall. He landed hard, and seeing her chance, she went in for the kill.

Paige spotted Xander at the same time Buffy did.

He was too busy getting people out to notice the vampire at his back.

The vampire reached Xander; Buffy and Paige could see Xander's look of fear as the creature grabbed him.

Paige hurled the stake catching him in the heart as he dusts.

"Thanks . . ." Xander said and smiled.

Paige smiled and nodded as she turned back toward Buffy.

While the sisters were distracted Luke took the opportunity and grabbed Buffy from behind. His arms closed around her and he lifted her in a crushing bear hug.

"Buffy!" Paige exclaimed as Buffy orbed. Paige and Luke look to where Buffy had been and was surprised as Buffy orbed next to Paige.

"Did you just call for me?" Buffy asked.

Paige looked at her sister in shock and then nodded, "I think so. That's the first time I've orbed a mortal to me."

The panic had reached full proportions now.

Backstage, people were still rushing out, and Giles shouldered his way through them, shouting to Willow.

"Come on! We've got to open the front as well!"

He headed for the door, moving against a current of hysterical people, trying to reach the main room.

Darla came out of nowhere, leaping upon him and digging for his throat. Giles tried to use his stake, but it knocked out of his hand as he toppled to the floor.

Giles was no match for Darla.

While Willow dug frantically through Buffy's bag for a weapon, Giles continued to struggle, all too aware that he was losing the battle. Darla held him flat against the floor, and as he stared up at her, her teeth lowered menacingly toward his neck.

"Get off him!" Willow cried.

Darla turned at the sound of Willow's voice. Something wet hit her full in the face, and she realized too late that she'd been doused with holy water.

Screaming, she brought her hands up to her cheeks, smoke pouring from between her fingers.

Giles pushed her off and staggered to his feet, prepared to confront her. But Darla was already stumbling out of the exit, her face a scorched, sizzling mask of agony.

Buffy grabbed the cymbal stand, knocking off the cymbal, and held it out like a weapon, and at the same time quickly assessed the stage to try and form another plan. Then she noticed the window at the back of the stage.

Paige followed her sister's gaze and then smiled at the plan she was sure was forming in her sister's mind.

Buffy swung the cymbal stand at the steadily advancing Luke. He dodged it easily, bestowing her an evil grin in the process.

"You forget," he sneered. "Metal can't hurt me."

Buffy didn't flinch. "There's something you forgot about, too."

The sisters saw his split-second pause—the flicker of doubt on his face.

"Sunrise," Paige said.

Buffy hurled the stand through the plate-glass window at the back of the stage. Glass shattered

everywhere, and as the warm light streamed in over him, Luke screamed and raised his hands to ward it off.

Then he stopped.

His expression was completely baffled.

With lightning quickness, Buffy drove her stake though Luke's back. He arched forward, his massive body twisted in unbearable pain.

"It's in about nine hours, moron," Buffy reminded him.

It was then that Luke realized the light from the window wasn't daylight at all. Only a streetlight, shining in from the deep, safe darkness.

With a gasp of amazement, he stumbled forward and dusted.

Paige smiled, "How thick can vampires be? Anyone who is anyone would know sunrise isn't for a while."

Buffy laughed, "I know, right." She looked down at the spot where Luke's body was. After a moment, she turned her gaze slowly toward the remaining vampires.

They regarded her expresssion for one fraction of a second.

Then without a word bolted for the door.

Giles and Willow came out from backstage. Xander, Paige and Buffy met them in the middle of the dance floor.

Giles glanced around, a note of relief in his voice. "I take it it's over."

"Did we win?" Willow was almost afraid to ask.

The five of them looked about at the carnage surrounding them. Most of the crowd had managed to escape by then, but a few still remained, some sitting, some wandering, all of them stunned and silent.

"Well, we averted the apocalypse," Paige said wearily.

"You gotta give us points for that." Buffy added.

"One thing's for sure," Xander sighed. "Nothing is ever gonna be the same."

Contrary to Xander's prediction, the next day dawned as it always did.

And everything looked amazingly normal.

The warm California sunshine enveloped Sunnydale High, and in the fountain quad the routine was exactly the same. Students milled about laughing and talking, and Cordelia held court with her friends.

"Well, I heard it was rival gangs fighting for turf," she said dramatically. She glanced around at all the eager faces, her adoring fans clinging to every word. "Anyway, Buffy totally knew these guys, which is too weird. I can't remember anything too well, but I'm telling you, it was a freak show."

"Oh, I wish I'd been there," one Cordelia-wannabe sighed.

Crossing the quad in the opposite direction, Buffy, Paige, Dawn and their own friends happened to overhear Cordelia's play-by-play. While Paige, Dawn and Buffy hid a smile, Xander turned to them in exasperated disbelief.

"Well, what exactly were you expecting?" Buffy chided him, while Xander gave an indignant shrug.

"I don't know! Something. The deadrose! We should've at least had an assembly."

"People have a tendency to rationalize what they can," Giles reminded him gently as he joined them outside the building, "and forget what they can't."

Dawn nodded in agreement. , "Believe me, Buffy, Paige and I've seen it happen. Buffy how many times has mom washed blood out of your clothes?"

Buffy shrugged, "I don't know but she seems to remain forgetful."

"Well, I'll never forget it," Willow said emphatically, giving an inward shudder. "None of it."

Giles looked pleased. "Good. Next time you'll be prepared."

"Next time?" Xander sounded suspicious, while Willow echoed, "Next time is why?"

Giles gave them a tolerant smile. "We stopped the Master from freeing himself and opening the mouth of hell."

"Doesn't mean he'll stop trying. I'd say the fun is just beginning." Dawn said.

"More vampires?" Willow croaked.

"Not just vampires." Giles stopped and turned to face them. His expression was very solemn, even for him. "The next creature we face may be something quite different."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I can hardly wait."

Paige rolled her eyes as she looked to her sisters, "Neither can I."

"We're at a center of mystical convergence here," Giles went on. "We may in fact stand between the earth and its total destruction."

Xander shook his head. "Paige, Buffy, this isn't good."

"Well, I gotta look on the bright side," Buffy told them cheerfully. "Maybe Paige and I can still get kicked out of school."

Paige laughed, "One can only hope."

Buffy, Paige and Dawn smiled at Giles and started off, the other two hurrying to keep up with the sisters.

"Hey, that's a plan," Xander was agreeable. "'Cause a lot of schools aren'ton hellmouths."

"Maybe you could blow something up," Willow suggested helpfully. "They're really strict about that."

Buffy looked to Paige and they considered this with a shrug. "I think Paige and I both agree were going to aim more for a subtle approach, like excessive not studying."

Dawn rolled her eyes.

Watching them go, Giles shook his head.

He arched one eyebrow and settled his glasses more firmly upon his nose.

"The earth is doomed," he sighed.


	3. Chapter 3: The Witch

**Chapter 3: The Witch**

"This is madness." Giles says, deeply concerned as he looks at Paige and Buffy in matching cheerleading outfits.

"You don't like the color," Buffy says.

"I what? I don't - Buffy, do you ignore everything I say? As a rule?" Giles says.

"No, I believe that's your trick. We told you we're going out for the cheerleading squad." Paige says.

"You have a sacred birthright, Buffy. You have been chosen to destroy Vampires, not wave pom-poms at people. As the Watcher, I forbid it." Giles says.

Paige rolls her eyes, "And you'll be stopping her how?"

Giles glares at Paige, "Dyeh, uh, well - by appealing to her common sense, if such a creature exists."

Paige shakes her head, "One thing Buffy and I agree on is we want normal lives outside slaying and vanquishing demons and vampires. Besides we'll still have time to fight the forces of evil, okay?"

Later in the gym, Buffy enters with Paige, Dawn, Willow and Xander.

"Giles didn't approve, huh?" Dawn asks

Buffy nods, "He totally lost his water. We haven't even seen a vampire in a week. I'd say he should get a girlfriend if he wasn't so old."

"Well, we're behind you," Willow says.

"People scoff at things like school spirit - but when you see these young women giving their all like this..." Xander says as he looks distractedly at Amber who is doing the splits. "...Oooh, stretchy. Where was I?"

"You were pretending that seeing scantily-clad girls in revealing postures was a spiritual experience." Paige says.

"What do you mean, pretending?" Xander asks as he pulls out an I.D. bracelet, handing it to Paige. "Oh, hey. Here's a little good luck thing for the tryouts..."

"What is this?" Paige asks.

"What is that?" Willow asks.

Paige takes the bracelet, puts it on. "This is so sweet!" She reads what's on the bracelet. "Yours always..."

Xander nods, "That was on there when I got it. Really. They all said that."

Paige and Buffy roll their eyes.

Cordelia watches as Amber stand on one leg and hold the other straight up in the air. "Just look at Amber. Who does she think she is, a Laker Girl?"

"I heard she turned them down." Willow says.

"Let's begin with..." Senior Cheerleader, Lisa says. "Amber Grove. If you're not auditioning move off the floor."

Xander, Willow, Paige, Dawn, Buffy, Cordelia move back.

Willow spots Amy, "Hi Amy."

Amy smiles, "Hi."

"I didn't know you wanted to be a cheerleader. You lost a lot of weight." Willow says.

"Had to." Amy says.

"Do you know Buffy, Paige and Dawn?" Willow asks.

"Hi." Amy says. "Oh how I hate this, let me count the ways."

Buffy smiles, warming to Amy's honesty as they watch Amber's routine - she's really good.

"She trained with Benson - he's the best coach money can buy." Amy says.

"They have cheerleading coaches?" Dawn asks.

Amy nods, "Oh yeah. I train with my mom, three hours in the morning, three at night."

"That kind of quality time with my mom would probably lead to some quality matricide." Buffy says.

Paige and Dawn roll their eyes. They both know Joyce isn't that bad, most of the time.

Amy smiles, "I know it's kinda hokey... but she's really great."

Cordelia, standing nearby, feigns boredom with Amber's performance, turns her back.

Smoke begins to emanate from Amber's pom-poms.

"What the ...?" Buffy asks as she looks at Paige.

"That girl's on fire," Willow says.

"Enough with the hyperbole." Cordelia says.

Amber stops, drops the pom-poms. The smoke is coming from her - and her hands and forearms suddenly burst into flames! Amber screams! Buffy vaults to the large Razorbacks Banner, rips it down and tackles Amber, wrapped her tightly in it and smothering the flames.

"It's okay, you're gonna be okay..." Buffy says.

Later they are back in the library.

"I've been slaying Vampires for more than a year now. I've seen some pretty cringeworthy stuff, but nobody's hands ever got toasted." Buffy says.

Giles nods, "I imagine not."

"So this is not a vampire problem?" Dawn asks.

Giles shakes his head, "No."

"But it is funky, right? Not of the norm?" Paige asks.

Giles nods, "Quite. Spontaneous human combustion is rare, and scientifically unexplainable. But there've been cases reported for hundreds of years. Usually all that's left is a pile of ashes."

"That's all that would have been left of Amber if it hadn't been for Buffy." Willow says.

Xander shakes his head, "So we have no idea what caused this? That's a comfort."

"Well, that is the thrill of living on a hellmouth - one has a veritable cornucopia of fiends, devils and ghouls to engage - Pardon me for finding the glass half full." Giles says as they each give him a look.

"Any common denominator in cases of spontaneous combustion?" Buffy asks.

Giles nods, "Rage. In most cases the person who combusted was terribly angry or upset."

"So maybe Amber's got this power. Kind of like Paige's, but to make herself be on fire. Like the Human Torch, only it hurts." Xander says.

"So I should get the skinny on Amber. See if she's had any colorful episodes before." Buffy says.

Willow smiles, "That means hacking illegally into the school's computer system – at last something I can do."

Dawn nods, "Always up for a little hacker action." She and Willow moves to a computer.

"I'll ask around about her." Xander says.

"Guys, you don't have to get involved." Buffy says to Xander and Willow.

"What do you mean? We're a team! Aren't we a team?" Xander says.

Willow nods, "Yeah, you're the Slayer and we're like the slayerettes."

Paige rolls her eyes, "Slayerettes?"

Buffy nods, "I don't want you two putting yourselves in danger. Dawn and Paige know the score and can do magic to protect themselves. You two don't have that."

"I laugh in the face of danger. Then I hide till it goes away." Xander says.

"Okay, well, I'm psyched for the help." Buffy says. "And what if we find out Amber didn't cause this herself?"

"Then we will have to determine who or what did. And deal with it accordingly." Giles says.

"Hey, we've fought vampires! Anything else'll be a walk in the park." Xander says.

Buffy and Paige share a look and then they nod as they say, "I hope so..."

That evening at home there are crates strewn about. Joyce is opening them with a crowbar.

Buffy, Paige and Dawn enters and throws their books on the kitchen table.

"Hey, Mom," Buffy, Paige and Dawn says in unison.

Joyce smiles, "Hi. How was school?"

"A reverent joy. What's all this?" Buffy says.

"It's for the tribal art display." Joyce says.

Dawn picks up a statue, looks at it. "Oh. Cool." She sits down on the table, grabbing a donut.

Buffy, Paige and Dawn watches Joyce a minute - Joyce hasn't looked back at them yet.

"We had tryouts today." Buffy says.

"Great! How'd it go?" Joyce asks.

"Well, Paige and I didn't get to try out yet. There was an accident. Pretty fierce competition, though." Buffy says.

Joyce nods, "I know you two will do fine. Keep on plugging. Just have to get back on the horse."

Joyce tries to pry open the crate on the table next to Buffy. It won't budge.

"Mom?" Paige asks.

Joyce finally looks around at her daughters, "Yeah?"

"What was Buffy and I trying out for?" Paige asks.

"Um... some activity? I have no idea, I'm sorry." Joyce says.

Buffy smiles, "That's okay. Your platitudes are good for all occasions."

"I'm distracted. I've got a lot of inventory to go through here. This is my gallery's first major show." Joyce says as she gives up, turns to another crate. "It might not physically kill you guys to give me a hand..."

Buffy casually flips the lid off the unopenable crate with one hand. "It was cheerleading tryouts."

"Oh! Good. I'm glad you're taking that up again. Keep you two out of trouble." Joyce says.

"We're not in trouble, mom." Buffy says.

Joyce shakes her head, "No, not yet. I mean - you stopped cheerleading right before the trouble. So it's good you're going back – Wait Paige you never went out for cheerleading before."

Paige smiles and nods, "I was always interested in basketball, remember?" Joyce nods. "Anyways I wanted to do something with Buffy for a change. So I decided I would try out for cheerleading."

Joyce pulls a statue of a man halfway out of a crate, stops. "Oh, dear." She puts it back.

"What is it?" Dawn asks.

"Fertility statue. You three don't need to see it." Joyce says.

Buffy heads for the fridge, and looks inside. "You know, this girl Amy trains with her mom like three hours a day." She closes the fridge. "Sounds like her mom's really into it."

"Sounds like her mom doesn't have a whole lot to do," Joyce says as she exits into the dining room, carrying a couple of pieces. Paige, Dawn and Buffy watches her a moment, then looks down into the crate with the fertility statue. Their eyes go wide.

"Jeepers," Buffy, Paige and Dawn say in unison.

The next day in the Gym, cheerleading tryouts are being held again.

"Despite the terrible thing that happened yesterday..." Lisa says. "...we still have to pick new cheerleaders. If you make the team, you'll find your name posted in the Quad after lunch. Let's begin with group performance - Cordelia, Buffy, Amy, Paige, Janice and Lishanne."

The six girls walk to the center of the gym. Amy glares at her hands. "Why do my hands have to sweat when I get nervous?"

"Don't worry, you'll do great." Buffy says.

Music begins playing as the girls perform a group cheer.

"We're Sunnydale, Sunnydale," Lishanne says.

"We Never Fail, Never Fail." Cordelia, Buffy, Amy, Paige and Janice say in unison.

"Jump and Shoot, Swish and Score." Lishanne says.

"The Other Team Is Such a Bore YEAHHH!" Cordelia, Buffy, Amy, Paige and Janice say in unison.

Paige is okay. Lishanne is great. Cordelia is surprisingly good, as is Buffy, still a little rusty but impressive.

Amy starts out well but tries too hard - misses a couple of synchronized moves - and, in the big finish, each girl does a cartwheel and slides to their knees one at a time. Amy's hand's slip on the floor and she careens into Cordelia.

"You saw that, right? That wasn't me." Cordelia says.

Moments later Amy, in cheerleader outfit, depressed, stands before a big trophy display case. Buffy and Paige, dressed for school, exits the locker room and moves over to Amy. They look at a cheerleader photo. Under the photo, it reads: 1977 - TRI-COUNTY BEST.

"That's my mom," Amy says.

"No..." Buffy says. "Catherine Madison. Get down with your bad self."

"Her nickname was Catherine The Great: she took that team and made them tri-county champions, no one's ever done that before or since. She and my dad were homecoming King and Queen, got married right after graduation." Amy says.

"That's kinda romantic." Buffy says.

Paige rolls her eyes.

"Well... he was a big loser, couldn't make any money, took off with Miss Trailer Trash when I was twelve." Amy says.

"Okay, that part's less romantic. Our folks split up, too." Buffy says.

Amy sighs, "Drag, huh. He left my mom with nothing. She put herself through cosmetology school, bought me everything I ever wanted and never gained a single pound..."

"She sounds great, Amy, but that doesn't mean you have to, you know, lock step as far as the cheerleading thing –" Paige says.

Amy turns to Paige and Buffy, her eyes filling with tears. "It's just, she was the best, and I can't get my body to move like hers. I choked in there so bad."

Amy looks very sad and forlorn as Willow walks over to them. She tries to put on a brave face, heads for the girls' locker room. "...I gotta get changed..."

"Hi Amy..." Willow says. "She okay?"

"She's wiggin' about her mother..." Buffy says. "...the big cheer queen back when."

Willow nods, "Yeah. Her mom's kinda..."

"Nazi-like?" Paige asks.

Willow nods, "Heil. If she gains an ounce she padlocks the fridge and won't eat anything but broth."

"So Mommie Dearest is really... Mommie Dearest." Buffy says.

"There's a bitter streak – but Amy's nice. We used to hang in Junior High. When her mom'd go on a broth kick Amy'd come to my house and we'd just stuff ourselves with brownies." Willow says.

"Any word on Amber?" Paige asks.

Willow pulls a paper from her bookbag, "Nothing thrilling. Average student - got detention once for smoking - regular smoking, with a cigarette. Not being smoky. All pretty normal."

"We'll just have to see what happens next. Maybe nothing will." Buffy says as she, Paige and Willow head out of the Gym.

Later in the quad kids mill about after lunch as Xander and Willow walk through them.

"I told Buffy and Paige about Amber," Willow says.

"Cool. Was Paige wearing it?" Xander asks. "The bracelet. She was wearing it, right? That's pretty much like we're going out."

"Except without the hugging or kissing or her knowing about it," Willow says.

"So now I'm a figure of fun. I should just ask, right?" Xander says.

"Won't know till you ask," Willow says.

Xander smiles, "See, this is why you're cool. You're like a guy. You're my guy friend that knows about girl stuff."

Willow sighs, "Oh great. I'm a guy."

Xander sees Lisa moving towards the bulletin board, list in hand. Girls begin to gather. "Hey, they're posting the list!"

At the bulletin board a sizable crowd has gathered. Lisa posts the list and goes. Girls stand on tiptoe, push and poke, trying to see. Buffy, Paige, Dawn and Amy are on the periphery as Xander and Willow move up. A girl in tears breaks out of the crowd, runs off.

Lishanne, reading the list, jumps up and down with some friends. "Yess!"

"I can't take this..." Amy says.

Buffy tries to wedge into the crowd but two contenders step right in front of her.

"Spot me, I'm goin' in." Xander says as he takes a little dive into the throng, works his way to the front where he finds himself nose to nose with Cordelia at the list. He lets her check it out first. "Women and children first."

Cordelia emerges after a moment, triumphant. She looks at Amy and smirks, "You're lucky."

"I made it?" Amy asks.

Cordelia shakes her head, "I made it." She moves off.

Xander, rubbing his arm, emerges from the throng. "One of those girls hit me really hard - we have to start testing for steroids – okay, not only did you make it, but you, Buffy, are the number one alternate, Paige you are the number two, and Amy's the number three!"

Amy's face falls, she turns and walks off.

"What better way to celebrate than with a romantic drive-through for two at –" Xander says.

"Xander, alternates are the ones who didn't make the team. They only fill in if something happens to the ones who did." Willow says.

Buffy looks to Paige and they move after to Amy. "Excuse us."

"For I am Xander, King of the Cretins, and all lesser cretins must bow before me." Xander says.

Dawn nods, "Yes you are, Xander."

Amy is trying to control her feelings as Paige and Buffy walk over to her.

"At least it's over. And you know what I think we should do about it? Brownie pig-out, our house, now." Buffy says.

Paige nods in agreement.

"How many more hours a day can I practice? How much more can I do? This would never have happened to my mom. Never." Amy says before she takes off.

Buffy and Paige look at each other.

The next morning in the kitchen at home Paige, Buffy and Dawn are getting their books together.

Joyce enters from the living room carrying an old yearbook. "Look what I found! It's my old yearbook, from junior year. Oh, look, there I am."

Paige, Dawn, Buffy looks for a second.

"Mom, I accepted that you've had sex. I'm not ready to know you've had Farrah hair." Buffy says.

Joyce shakes her head, "This is Gidget hair. Don't they teach you anything in history?"

Dawn nods, "Yeah, history."

"Well we gotta book –" Paige says.

"Well I was thinking, I mean I know the cheerleading thing didn't work out. Maybe you guys should think about joining the yearbook staff. I did it, and it was a lot of fun. Plus it would be something even Dawn could do with the two of you." Joyce says.

"Not really my tip, mom." Buffy says.

"I was photo editor. I got to be on every page. Made me look much more popular than I was." Joyce says.

"Have you seen the kids who do yearbook, mom? Nerds pick on them." Buffy says.

Paige rolls her eyes.

"Some of the best times I had in school were working on the yearbook." Joyce says.

Paige sighs, "This just in: we're not you. We're into our own thing."

Buffy and Dawn nods in agreement.

"Your own thing, whatever it is, got you and Buffy kicked out of school. And we had to move here to find a decent school that would take both of you." Joyce says.

Quite frankly, ouch. The sting hangs in the air before Buffy, Paige and Dawn grabs her books and walks out.

"Sweeties..." Joyce says as she stands there a moment, upset with herself. "Great parenting form. Little shaky on the dismount..."

At Sunnydale High Cordelia, walking more slowly and regally than usual, passes Xander and Willow.

"Morning your Highness, beheadings at noon as usual?" Xander says to Cordelia as she passes. Okay, see how she has now clue I'm even a mammal, much less a human being?"

Willow nods, "None."

"This invisible man syndrome, a blessing in Cordelia's case, a curse in Paige's," Xander says.

Willow shakes her head, "You're not invisible to Paige."

"Worse, I'm just part of the scenery, like an old shoe, or a rug you walk on every day but you never really see –" Xander says.

"— like a pen that's all chewed up and you know you should throw it away but you don't, not 'cause you really like it that much but more 'cause you're just so used to it and –" Willow says.

Xander sighs, "Will. That is the point and let's not drive it through my head like a railroad spike. What I have do – what I'm going to do – is just what you said –"

"Throw away the pen, forget about Paige." Willow says.

"What I have to do - what I'm going to do - is be a man and ask her out. No more I.D. bracelets, subtle innuendo, or Polaroids outside her bedroom window late at night – that last is a joke to relieve the tension because here she comes." Xander says.

Paige, Dawn and Buffy rounds a corner, heading their way.

"I know I'm relieved." Willow says.

"Alright. Into battle I go. Would you ask her out for me? No. Man. Me. Battle." Xander says.

Buffy, Paige and Dawn pass Cordelia at her locker. They see Cordelia reach for her combination - her fingers miss it, find it.

"Paige, how would you like to..."

"Is that even Cordelia's locker?" Buffy asks looking back at Cordelia.

"Huh? I don't know, what I'm saying here is, accompany me Friday night..." Xander says.

Paige, Dawn and Buffy are not really listening, they see Cordelia give up on the locker which won't open for her, walk off.

"Hang on, Xander, I have to... we can pick this up later, you don't mind, do you?" Paige says as she and Buffy turns and goes.

Xander watches them, Paige in particular. A small high-pitched sound builds slowly in the back of his throat - the sound of a plan going down, down, down. "Pplllewww!"

Dawn smiles, "Don't worry, Xander. Paige will take notice of you someday."

"I'm not so sure," Xander says.

Outside Cordelia, still moving more slowly than usual, makes her way across campus.

Paige and Buffy exits the building fifty yards or so behind Cordelia. They follow her, concerned.

Ahead orange cones are set up in a little course on the blacktop. Cordelia walks up to a Driver's Ed car.

Mr. Pole and two other students are waiting as Cordelia walks up to them. "Nice of you to join us Cordelia. We didn't keep you waiting or anything did we? It's your turn to drive. Let's buckle up, people." He and the other students move to the car.

"I don't want to drive today, Mr. Pole." Cordelia says.

Mr. Pole looks wildly uncomfortable for a beat, "You've flunked Driver's Ed twice - show me some moves or you'll be taking the bus to college."

Cordelia marches to the car, climbs behind the wheel.

Buffy and Paige keep an eye on Cordelia.

Mr. Pole buckles up in the passenger seat. "Check your brake, your mirrors, start the engine, put the car in drive..."

Cordelia looks at the gear shift, she's having trouble seeing it.

"...let' move forward and through the cones in a gentle, even turn to the –" Mr. Pole says.

Cordelia puts the car in REVERSE, steps on the gas. The car jerks backwards, knocking into a pole.

"- brakes!" Mr. Pole says.

Cordelia slams on the brakes, jams the car through every gear until she finds drive, hits the gas.

The car SCREECHES forward.

"Slow down, turn right, right, BRAKES, BRAKES!" Mr. Pole says.

Cordelia does as she's told, yanking the wheel, stomping on the brakes. The car launches into a nasty skid, right off the blacktop, onto the grass, careening out of control towards the street.

Paige frowns, "Too many witnesses I can't orb."

Buffy nods and starts running like hell.

Mr. Pole and the students in back scream bloody murder.

The car skids into the street and stops. A car swerves around them, tires squealing, HORN BLARING.

"Everyone out!" Mr. Pole says.

Cordelia, Pole, and the other students scramble out. Mr. Pole and the students run.

Cordelia looks around, completely disoriented. Everything in Cordelia's sight is dark and murky, there is the dimmest shape of a UPS size truck bearing down on her. She takes a step away, then another - in about five seconds she's going to be hamburger.

Buffy tears across the grass onto the sidewalk.

Cordelia screams, terrified, expecting the worst.

The truck hits its breaks, heading right at Cordelia.

Buffy leaps on a parked car, using it as a booster to send her airborne. She flies through the air and tackles Cordelia. Carrying her out of harm's way as the truck screeches past.

"What's happening?! I can't see anything!" Cordelia says as Paige comes running up to them.

"Cordelia, it's okay, you're gonna be - Oh, god..." Buffy says as she looks at Cordelia whose eyes glaze over to murky white. She looks at Paige with concern.

"What's happening to me!?" Cordelia says, panicky.

Later Paige, Buffy and Dawn are in the library talking to Giles.

"Witchcraft. Blinding your enemy to disable and disorient them is a classic." Giles says.

"Not for me." Paige says.

"Nor me." Dawn says.

Giles sighs, "You both are good witches, though. Dawn you use a wand for most of your spell work. And Paige has to worry about personal gain. A witch that doesn't use a wand and is not worried about personal gain on the other hand could very well use the spell to blind someone."

"First vampires, now witches… no offense to either of you Paige and Dawn... It's no wonder you can still afford a house in Sunnydale." Xander says.

"Why would someone want to harm Cordelia?" Giles asks.

"Maybe because... they met her. Did I say that?" Willow says.

Giles nods, "Then why was Amber set ablaze?"

"Yeah, those guys don't hang." Xander says.

"They're both cheerleaders." Buffy says.

"Someone doesn't like cheerleading." Giles says.

"Or likes it too much," Paige says.

"Amy," Willow says.

"Amy," Buffy and Paige say in unison.

"So you guys are leaning towards Amy." Xander says.

Buffy nods, "She's desperate to get on that team... I get the feeling she'd do anything to make her mom's dream come true."

"Now I do want to make sure I've got this right. This witch is casting horrible, disfiguring spells so that she can be a cheerleader." Giles says.

"Your point being?" Dawn asks.

"Priorities. Really, if I had no fear of personal gain I'd set my sights a little higher than making the pep squad." Giles says.

Paige shakes her head, "I think you're underestimating the amount of pressure a parent can lay on you. If you're not a picture perfect carbon copy they tend to wig."

"Cheerleading was kind of her mom's last hurrah." Willow says.

Xander nods, "We still gotta stop Amy. We should grab her before –"

"Let's be certain she's the witch before we arouse her suspicions. She's capable of some fairly ugly things." Giles says.

Buffy nods, "All right, you're a high school girl, you're desperate to make the team and please your mom, you turn to witchcraft. What's the first thing you do?"

"Check out the books on witchcraft!" Willow and Dawn says and they smile at each other.

Dawn moves to the computer at check-out desk, scanning records. Willow watches over her shoulder.

"That's the last thing you do! You don't leave a paper trail. Forget that –"

"It'll just take a minute –" Dawn says.

"We don't have a minute. Cheerleaders' lives are in danger – Paige and Buffy's in danger." Xander says, grabbing Paige he tries to hustle her out. "Buffy and Paige are first and second alternates. Buffy's on the team now that Cordelia's out - you could be next, we have to get you to a safe house. And we should protect Paige too because if something were to happen to Buffy…"

Willow looks over Dawn's shoulder seeing a list of books of witchcraft that had been checked out. "Xander..."

"Yes?" Xander asks, innocently.

"Witches - Historic Roots to Modern Practice checked out by Alexander Harris." Dawn says.

"The Pagan Rites, checked out by Alexander –" Willow says.

"All right, all right. It's not what you think." Xander says.

Willow shakes her head, "You like to look at the semi-nude engravings?"

"Oh. Well, then it is what you think." Xander says.

Giles nods as he looks in a book, "We'll need a conclusive test anyway. There should be one - yes! The ducking stool. We throw her in the pond. If she floats, she's a witch; if she drowns, she's innocent."

Paige shakes her head, "Even I know that one doesn't work."

Giles nods, "... some of my texts are a bit outdated."

"You think?" Buffy asks.

Giles looks in yet another book, "Ah! Yes. This should work. You'll need some of her hair, a little quicksilver and aqua fortis."

Dawn smiles, "That's just mercury and nitric acid, we can get it in the science lab."

"Heat ingredients and apply to witch, if a spell has been cast in previous forty-eight hours witch's skin will turn blue. Oh, and you'll need some eye of newt." Giles says.

Later in Science class Dr. Gregory is up lecturing, "Those on track one may begin their dissections. Those on track two, add your hydrochloric acid and ammonium hydroxide to your beakers..."

Xander holds a scalpel poised over a frog. He lowers the scalpel, "I can't." He puts the scalpel down.

Willow takes the scalpel, and makes a quick neat incision. "One eye of newt..."

"Wow, you've got a killer streak I've never seen before. Hope I never cross you." Xander says.

Willow smiles, "I do too, then I'd have to carve you up in neat little pieces." She holds up the scalpel, gives him her sweet "Willow" smile.

"Ha ha." Xander says as he takes the scalpel respectfully. "How's Paige coming with the hair?"

Paige and Buffy are sitting in front of Xander and Willow.

"Isn't this exciting?" Lishanne says, sarcastically in front of them.

"Oh yeah," Buffy laughs as she gives Paige a look.

Paige nods and holds out her hand, "Amy's hair!" A bit of hair orbs into her hand.

Amy looks around and back at Paige and Buffy for a moment.

"Smile and wave to the nice witch." Xander says

Amy looks forward as Paige hands Willow the hair.

Willow puts the hair in the beaker and stirs it before handing it to Buffy "All set. You have a plan?"

Buffy nods, "Spill it on her, try and make it look natural."

"We'll be right behind you. Only farther away." Xander says.

"Be careful." Paige says.

Buffy heads for Amy's desk with beaker.

"Lishanne, can you tell me why these chemicals have this reaction?" Dr. Gregory asks.

Buffy casually spills a drop or two on Amy's arm. Buffy looks at Amy's arm and it turns blue. She looks back up and sees Amy is staring at Lishanne.

Lishanne starts to shake, to spaz out.

"Lishanne? Are you - Oh my god." Dr. Gregory says.

Lishanne knocks a few beakers over as she stumblingly rises and turns, grabbing at the first thing she sees - which is Amy. Amy is brought face to face with Lishanne – who has no mouth. Amy backs away, terrified by what she sees.

Moments later Willow, Xander, Paige and Buffy are in the hall as Dawn come running up to them.

"Did you see? Amy was as freaked out as the rest of us." Xander says.

"So it's not her?" Dawn asks.

Buffy shakes her head, "The test was positive. She's our Sabrina. I just don't think she realizes what she's doing."

"Should we talk to her?" Willow asks.

"Maybe we should talk to her mother. I wonder if she knows what she's created." Paige says.

The next morning in Buffy and Paige's bedroom, they are sleeping.

An fashioned alarm clock starts ringing.

Paige and Buffy lumps around under the covers, mewling in protest before Buffy reaches for the clock.

Buffy grabs the alarm clock and casually crushes it with her hand. She pulls her head out from under the covers to look at what she has wrought. "Oops." Buffy says laughing.

Paige laughs, "Big oops."

In the kitchen Joyce is making breakfast as Dawn watches. Paige and Buffy comes in, their in a really good mood.

"MACHO MACHO MAN..." Paige and Buffy sings

"Hey, juice." Buffy says as she downs an entire glass in one sip. "Quality juice. Not from concentrate."

"You two are in a good mood." Joyce says.

Dawn nods, "They are."

"We are." Paige says. "We're on the squad."

Buffy nods, "Which is great because we both feel like cheering. And leading others to cheer. Hey, juice!" She downs another glass of juice.

"Listen sweeties, about yesterday..." Joyce says.

"That's totally yester. Besides, it's not like you were wrong. We did get kicked out. Buffy and I are wacky that way." Paige says.

Joyce nods, "Still, I want you to know that despite the problems you've had –"

"Mom, you don't get it. Believe me, you don't want it. There's just things about being a vampire slayer or a witch that the older generation has a problem with." Buffy says.

Dawn's eyes go wide.

"A what?" Joyce asks.

"She's kidding." Dawn says. "Buffy's just the big kidder."

Joyce shakes her head, "Buffy, Paige, are you two feeling well?"

Paige nods, "We can't be in a good mood? That's a new house rule? Fine, we don't mind, cuz…"

"I'm a MACHO MACHO MAN..." Paige and Buffy start singing again as they head out of the house.

Dawn smiles and picks up her stuff and follows her sisters. If she had waited a moment she would have seen the look on Joyce's face. The same look of worry she has.

In the Gym at school Buffy and Paige are there for cheerleading practice.

"Turn up the music!" Buffy said.

The cheerleaders - Buffy, Lisa, Paige and the rest practice. Paige and Buffy have big, happy grins on their faces, their workin' this cheer - unfortunately their workin' it completely out of sync with everyone else.

Paige stomps on Lisa's foot.

"Ow! Get it together, Paige, we have a game in less than four hours." Lisa says.

Dawn, Willow and Xander slip in through the door to watch.

"Hey Willow, Xander! My buds are here. I love my buds." Buffy yells.

"Is it me, or is Buffy somewhat looped?" Xander asks.

Dawn shakes her head, "It's not just you. She and Paige have been acting that way all morning."

Each girl launches the one next to her into a spinning cartwheel. Buffy is launched.

Willow nods, "We better get them both out of there."

"Yeah, before she..." Xander says.

Buffy cartwheels to the Senior Cheerleader, grabs her and hurls her like a flying sack of potatoes.

"...hurts somebody." Xander says.

Lisa lands in the corner of the gym. She gets up, way more angry than hurt.

"Did I do that?" Buffy asks.

"You are so out of here!" Lisa says before looking at Paige. "And you why don't you just go with her."

Willow and Xander rush in, grab Buffy as Dawn grabs Paige.

"It's not her fault –" Willow says.

Xander nods, "She's on medication –"

Lisa rolls her eyes, "Obviously not enough. Who's our next alternate - oh." Amy is right there, in costume. "Amy, you just made cheerleader. Who was fourth alternate?"

"Melissa Sawyer, I believe." Says one of the other Cheerleaders.

"No no no, you don't want her, she's a wi—" Buffy says.

Xander clamps a hand over Buffy's mouth as Willow and he hustle her out into the foyer. "A wise choice indeed."

Dawn hustles Paige out into the foyer also. She closes the door behind them.

"She's a witchy!" Buffy says.

"Buffy –" Willow says.

"I just got Paige and I kicked off the team, didn't I?" Buffy asked.

"I don't think it's your fault." Xander says.

"We know you don't. That's cause you're our friend. You're our Xander-shaped friend." Paige says. "...do you have any idea why I love you so, Xander?"

"We gotta get you to –" Dawn says.

"Let her speak!" Xander says.

"I'll tell you. You're not like other guys at all..." Paige says.

Xander smiles, "Well..."

"You are completely and totally one of the girls. I'm that comfy with you." Paige says.

Willow can't help but look a little pleased; Xander looks like he just got cancer.

"That's great." Xander says.

"Any other guy gave me a bracelet, they'd want to date me, it'd be a thing, but you - you –" Paige says as she and Buffy both stagger a bit.

"Oh. I don't feel so good." Buffy says.

"Neither do I," Paige says.

They slump over, pale and sweaty.

"Buffy? Paige?" Dawn says concerned.

"Something is really... not good..." Buffy says as she collapses in Xander and Willow's arms.

At that same moment Paige collapses into Dawn's arms.

Moments later they are in the library. Buffy and Paige are laid out in easy chairs. A cold compress on their heads. Their conscious but very sick. Giles, Dawn, Willow and Xander stand over her, concerned.

"We gotta get them to a hospital." Willow says.

Giles shakes his head, "They can't help them. This is a Bloodstone Vengeance Spell, hits the body hard, like drinking a quart of alcohol, and then eradicates the immune system."

"Vengeance spells. Like she's getting even with Buffy and Paige?" Xander says.

"'Cause she knows we know she's a witch." Buffy says.

"The others she just wanted out of the running, you she intends to..." Giles says.

"Kill." Buffy and Paige says.

"How much time do we have?" Dawn asks.

"I'm sure we have –" Giles says.

"Truth please," Dawn says.

Giles sighs and looks at the littlest Summers, "Couple of hours, three at most."

"So how do we reverse the spell?" Xander asks.

"I've been researching that. We can reverse all the spells if we can get our hands on Amy's spell book –" Giles says.

"And if we can't get our hands on it?" Willow asks.

"The only other way is to vanquish the witch herself. Vanquishing her would automatically reverse the spells."

Xander raises his hand, "Show of hands..."

"No. It's not Amy's fault. She became a witch to survive her mother," Paige says.

"I don't care why, I care that you go on breathing." Xander says. "That both of you go on breathing."

"Giles, where would she be casting these spells?" Buffy asks.

"She needs a sacred space with a pentagram, a large pot..." Giles says.

"I don't need a pentagram or large pot. But the sacred space sounds about right." Paige says.

Giles nods, "Paige your magic might be different from hers. Take for example Dawn, while she can cast Wiccan spells she uses a wand for most of her spell work. You on the other hand I believe were born with it since you have been able to do magic for several years. Amy likely was not born with it. Which means her magic might work differently."

Buffy nods, "If she does have a sacred space it'll be like what Paige does. Paige has a place setup in the attic where she keeps her stuff. So Amy likely has hers at home also. Help me get up." Giles helps her up. "We'll go to her house, find her book –"

"We'll go with you." Willow says.

Buffy shakes her head, "No. Stay here, keep an eye on Amy."

Giles nods, "And keep her away from the science lab. We'll need it to cast our counter spells."

Buffy nods, "Dawn help Paige to the science lab. Get it ready for us. Depending on what condition Paige is in when we get back you may have to do the casting."

Dawn nods, "Okay, Buffy."

Later at Amy's House Giles pulls his car up outside, he helps Buffy out of the car and up to the front door where he knocks loudly.

Buffy peeks in the window by the door.

Inside Catherine starts at the sound of knocking. She takes something Buffy can't see very well and slides it under the coffee table. Comes anxiously to the door and opens it.

"What do you want? Is there something wrong?" Catherine says.

"Mrs. Madison, we need to talk to you about your daughter." Giles says.

"I'm not allowed to – you'll have to come back." Catherine says as she tries to shut the door.

Giles pushes it open rather forcefully as he ushers Buffy in. He moves Buffy to the couch, turns to Catherine. "Your daughter is up to something very dangerous. Are you aware of that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Catherine says.

"I think you know very well." Giles says.

"You have to go. She's gonna be home soon." Catherine says.

Giles shakes his head, "This girl is very sick and so is her sister. You will shut up and you will listen to me. You daughter has access to some very powerful magics. Somehow your obsession with cheerleading has made her –"

"I don't care about cheerleading! It's not my fault she's doing stuff." Catherine says, near tears.

Buffy stares intently at Catherine.

"As her mother, you should accept some responsibility for her actions." Giles says.

Surprisingly, Catherine starts laughing. "Well, these kids today..."

Buffy looks at her, then looks at what Catherine hid under the table. It's a plate of brownies. She stands, weakly.

"She's out of her mind. Ever since… I can't control her." Catherine says.

Giles nods in understanding, "You're afraid of her."

Catherine turns to look at Buffy, who approaches her slowly. Giles turns as well.

"Amy?" Buffy asks as Catherine takes a step back, wide eyed. "Are you Amy?"

"I don't understand..." Giles says.

"She switched, didn't she? She switched your bodies. She wanted to relive her glory days. Catherine the Great." Buffy says.

"Good lord..." Giles says.

Catherine/Amy nods, quietly. "She said I was wasting my youth... So she took it." Catherine sits down on the couch next to Buffy. She is terrified and fighting back tears. "I didn't know about her... her power. When my dad was here they would fight, he called her a witch. I thought he meant something else. When he left I wanted to go with him but she wouldn't even let me call. She got crazy. She'd lock herself upstairs for days. And she'd get down on me all the time. She said I didn't deserve to have it so easy, that I didn't know how hard it was to be her. I guess she showed me, huh?" She does cry now, quietly.

"Amy, it's gonna be okay." Buffy says.

"A few months ago I woke up in her bed, I didn't know where I was... and I looked in the mirror..." Catherine/Amy says.

Giles nods, "She locked herself upstairs. Where?"

"She has a room in the attic." Catherine says.

Giles nods, "Show me."

Moments later upstairs in the attic the door bursts open, Giles coming in behind it.

Catherine/Amy stays in the doorway, too afraid to enter as Giles comes up to some dolls. "If she finds out I've been in here she'll kill me."

"My God..." Giles says as he looks at the dolls. "I believe we can reverse your mother's spell. All of them, in fact."

"You really could?" Catherine/Amy asks.

Giles nods, "Yes, but I need her Book of Shadows." He had been wrong and he knew it. He had told Paige that Amy's mom was not like here. But apparently she was. His first clue had been the mention of a power. He knew of only three types of witches in the world now. Wand carrying like Dawn, and the two forms of Wiccan; one born with it and one that learned it over time. The second did not have powers like Paige did. He believed Amy's mom was the first kind with powers

Tentatively, Catherine enters, and helps. They rummage about in the dark recesses of the place, looking on shelves, under old blankets.

Giles discovers a small trunk. As he pulls it open he says to Catherine/Amy, "Collect those dolls, and all the personal –"

A black cat leaps at Giles from the trunk, screeching. Giles jumps back as the cat hits the floor and takes off out of the room. He takes a moment to recover himself. "Nice kitty..." He looks in the trunk. "What were you guarding? Yes..." He pulls out the Book of Shadows. "This is it."

They head back down with the Book, Catherine/Amy with the box of dolls.

Buffy is back on the couch. She looks ghastly, but she looks up to Giles with hope. "Did we find?"

Giles nods, "We found." He gently helps her to her feet. He hands the book to Catherine/Amy and picks Buffy up.

"Where are you going?" Catherine/Amy asks.

"We're going to school. And you're coming with us." Giles says.

Later in the science lab Giles, Buffy and Catherine/Amy enter to find Dawn has everything setup. Paige is lying on one of the tables, clearly she isn't in position to perform any spells.

Giles places Buffy in a chair as Catherine/Amy drops the box on a table. He squats before Buffy, looks her in the eyes. "We're going to stop this. I promise. Just hang on." He stands up, digs in the box for the book.

"How are they?" Catherine/Amy asks noticing Paige.

"We only have a few minutes." Giles says. "Dawn? Do you think you can do this. It's Wiccan not wand casting."

Dawn nods, "I've done some Wiccan spells with Paige. I can do them it's just easier for me with a wand."

Giles pulls the book out of the box, starts looking through it. "Let's see... Dawn you'll need lead, sulphur, some sort of diacetate..." He goes over to the glass cabinet with the chemicals in it. It's locked. Casually, still looking down at the book for reference, he picks up a metal beaker and smashes the glass. He looks in and starts picking out vials of useful substances.

"What should I do?" Catherine/Amy asks.

"Find a frog." Giles says.

Dawn has her makeshift cauldron setup with a Bunsen burner under it.

Catherine/Amy is nearby, reluctantly prying out a dead frog's eyes.

"Right." Giles says as he throws in a powder.

"The center is dark." Dawn says "The darkness breathes. The listener hears."

Giles throws in another powder.

"Hear me." Dawn says.

Catherine/Amy is reeling, shaking off a momentary change of bodies. "It's working..."

"Unlock the gate, let the darkness shine. Cover us with holy fear. Show me." Dawn says. "Show me."

The lights in the room blow out.

Catherine/Amy is still reeling from the flashes. She looks up suddenly. "She's heading this way."

Dawn holds her hands to the heavens, "Corsheth, and Gilail, the gate is closed. Receive the dark, release the unworthy... Take of mine energy and be sated!" She plunges her hands into the brew! Huge colored cloud shoots up.

Catherine/Amy sees the door rattle, startles back in terror

Dawn pulls her dripping hands out, "Be sated! Release the unworthy! Release!"

Paige and Buffy's eyes flutter shut, their heads slumping over.

"Release!" Dawn says.

The door bursts open, An axe wielding Amy/Catherine runs in. She takes one quick look around, heads for Buffy –

"RELEASE!" Dawn says.

Amy/Catherine raises the axe – there is a flash of light –

Amy stops and lowers the axe.

Buffy and Paige stands, completely restored. They and Amy look at each other in wonder.

"Amy?" Buffy asks.

Catherine flies at Buffy, screaming and tackling her. The woman has gone completely apeshit. Giles comes at her and she just LOOKS up at him and a desk MOVES at him, knocking him down.

Dawn pulls her wand out of its hidden holster. She levels it at Catherine.

Catherine stands, comes toward the cowering Amy. Nothing but hate in her gaze. "You. You little brat."

"Mom, please..." Amy says as she is retreating, raising the axe more for protection than anything else.

Catherine merely cocks her head and the axe flies out of Amy's hand and into her own. Amy stifles a scream. "Raise a hand to your own mother? Who gave you birth, who gave up her life, her LIFE so you could drag your worthless carcass around and call it living?" She SLAMS the axe into a table top.

Amy looks from the axe to her mother.

"Mrs. Madison, don't make me." Dawn says.

Something is happening – energy begins emanating from Catherine's hands – like sparks, only black. Something very powerful is brewing in her. "You were never anything but trouble. I'll put you where you'll never make trouble again.

"Stupefy!" Dawn shouts as the wand spell hits Catherine.

Catherine slides to the ground, unconscious. Her arms crackle with uncontrolled energy. The energy sings around her, wrapping her up and then she is gone, vanquished.

Giles, no longer pinned, gets up, creeps forward with Amy. Dawn, Paige and Buffy comes from behind the desk. They all look around them, but they are alone.

"Well, that was interesting." Giles says.

"Are you guys okay?" Buffy asks.

"I'm fine." Amy says, feelingly.

Buffy smiles at her.

"I think all the spells were reversed." Giles says.

Dawn nods, "I think you're right. Of course, it's my first solo casting; I may have got it wrong."

Buffy looks to her littlest sister and smiles, "You saved mine and Paige's lives. You were a goddess."

Dawn smiles, "Anything for my sisters."

They head for the door as Xander leaps at Amy tackling her. "I got her! I got her! Vanquish her!

"Xander, what are you doing?" Paige asks.

"Saving you." Xander says as Buffy pulls him off Amy. "But she's evil!"

"Well, it wasn't exactly her." Giles says.

Amy nods, "It was my mom."

"Oh." Xander says. It takes a moment for him to realize he has no idea what they're talking about.

Willow runs in now, carrying a baseball bat. "Where is she?"

"Willow! It's cool." Xander says.

"It is?" Willow asks.

Xander nods, "Oh yeah. I took care of it."

Later back at home Paige and Dawn sits on Buffy's bed as Buffy is throwing pieces of her alarm clock in the trash when Joyce enters.

"I don't get it." Joyce says.

"What?" Buffy asks.

"I've been thinking a lot about where you three are coming from, how to relate to all three of you, and I've come to a simple conclusion. I don't get it. What each of you want, what each of you are thinking. Not a clue." Joyce says.

Paige smiles, "We're inscrutable, huh?"

Joyce nods, "Dawn's 14, Buffy's 16 and you Paige are 17. I think there's a biological imperative whereby I can't understand you because I'm not 14, 16 or 17.

"Do you ever wish you could be? 14, 16 or 17 again?" Dawn asks.

"There's a frightful notion. Go through all that again." Joyce says, as she shudders. "Not even if it helped me understand you three."

Buffy, Paige and Dawn kisses Joyce in turn on the cheek –

"I love you, mom." Buffy, Paige and Dawn says before they exit the room.

A couple days later Paige, Dawn, Buffy and Amy are walking through the hall.

"Dad is so impossible. He doesn't ever want me going anywhere, wants to spend total quality time together." Amy says. "I'm like, "Dad, I can go out, it's perfectly safe." He's got all this guilt at leaving me with mom and he's being a total pain."

"You're loving it." Buffy says.

Amy nods, "Every single minute."

Cordelia breezes by with the other cheerleaders as they get out of the gym. They see Amber and Lishanne – all recovered. "Hey, I'm really sorry you guys got bumped back to alternate. Hold it – wait – no I'm not."

"Well, I know I'll miss the intellectual thrill of spelling words out with my arms." Amy says.

"Ooh, these grapes are sour." Cordelia says as she walks on.

Buffy is staring at the trophy case.

Amy looks to her, the smile leaving her face as Paige and Dawn join them at the trophy case. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot you two actually wanted to be on the squad."

Buffy shakes her head, "No, that's okay. Cheerleading is just a little too hairy these days."

Paige nods, "Besides I was only doing it because of Buffy. Cheerleading was never my thing I just wanted to do something with her."

For a moment they all look at Catherine's trophy.

"Catherine the Great." Amy says.

"And there's been no sign of her?" Dawn asks.

Amy shakes her head, "That last spell she was about to unleash, she said I'd never make trouble again. Wherever she is, I don't think we have to worry. I'm just happy to have my body back." They turn away and walk off. "I'm thinking of getting fat."

"Well, that look is in for spring." Paige says as her sister's laugh.


	4. Chapter 4: Never Kill a Boy on the First

**Chapter 4: Never Kill a Boy on the First Date**

Buffy leaps into the air, grabs on to the branch of a tree, and swings up and over, kicking the vampire away. She drops down, breaks a smaller branch off the tree, and uses the sharp end to kill the vampire.

Another vampire tries to run away. Buffy does a triple-backwards-somersault and lands right in front of him.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Buffy, and you are –" Buffy says as she grabs a stake from her belt and plunges it into the vampire's heart. "—history." She puts her hands on her hips and surveys the carnage. She smiles, satisfied. Her job is done.

"Poor technique. Prioritization, sub-par."

Buffy's smile fades as Giles and Paige pops up from behind a tombstone. He is holding a notebook, checking things off.

"Execution was adequate, but a bit too bloody for my taste." Giles says.

"Oh, Giles, don't mention it. It was my pleasure to make the world safe for humanity again." Buffy says.

"I'm not saying your methods are without merit, but you're expending far too much time and energy." Giles says as he demonstrates, "It should simply be 'plunge' and move on; 'plunge' and move on."

"If it's that easy, why weren't you doing it. Oh, that's right. You were busy cowering behind a tombstone." Giles says.

"This isn't about me, it's about you. It is about how there are traditions that a Slayer needs to follow." Giles says.

"Tradition is yesterday's news. I'm an improv gal. How about when I offed the first couple of V's with a single stake? It was, 'Slay one, kill one free.'" Buffy says.

"Ah, yes. Showing off. Yet another example of how you're not going by the book." Giles says.

"The book. You mean that old dusty thing that's been out of print for two thousand years?" Buffy says.

Giles nods, "The old ways have much to teach us. If you insist on ignoring the fundamentals handed down through history, you could find yourself in serious danger."

Buffy turns away, indicating her field of victory. "Gee, perhaps we should review what happened here. Let's start with 'I killed them all.'"

Paige senses something behind her and looks over her shoulder and sees a vampire behind her and Giles, "Buffy!" She grabs Giles arm and orbs out as Buffy turns around and fires a stake at the vampire, dusting it as Paige orbs back in with Giles.

"So Giles." Paige said. "When am I going to be graded like Buffy?"

Giles sighs, "When I have time. I have to send in regular reports to the Council. While they know about you and Dawn helping her. They want to know how she is doing solo."

"Oh." Paige says.

The next day in the school cafeteria Buffy looks confused. "This is spooky." She stands next to Paige in the cafeteria line. "Is the green stuff fruit, or vegetable?"

"Yes."

"I'll take it." Buffy says. A scoop of green slop plops onto her tray as Buffy moves on.

Paige shakes her head, "I think I'll pass as she moves on behind Buffy.

Xander and Willow are in line behind Paige.

"I was guessing string cheese." Xander says.

A student, Chambers, holding a tray bumps into Buffy. "Sorry."

Buffy looks up at him. She's not annoyed at all. "No damage."

Chambers moves off.

"You luck." Willow says.

"What?" Buffy asks. She looks at Paige as if to ask do you know what she's talking about.

"He was all over you." Willow says.

Buffy shakes her head, "Chambers? He just bumped into me."

"Please. There was definite hip-to-hip contact." Willow says.

"Really?" Paige asks. "If that's right Buffy. He definitely likes you."

Buffy sees Chambers sit at the table alone. "Aw, look at him."

Willow nods, "He's all alone."

"Gee, wonder why? Could it be the 'I was a teenage mannequin' look?" Xander says.

"Okay, so as a type, he's not exactly my type. I just think maybe someone should sit by him." Buffy says.

"But who?" Willow asked.

"Might have to be us." Buffy says.

Paige smiles, "Looks like it."

"You know, just to be friendly." Buffy says.

"Boy, are you three being taken on a tour. Am I the only one who can see through his good looks and the pleasant demeanor to behold the sick, perverted deviant within?" Xander says as he turns and sees that Paige, Buffy and Willow are already half-way to Chambers' table. "You don't have to answer right away."

"Paige, Willow, wherever will we sit?" Buffy says. "Oh, I guess this will have to do."

As Buffy is about to sit, Cordelia appears.

"Hey, look. An empty seat." Cordelia says as she knocks Buffy to the floor. Buffy's tray takes flight. Cordelia sits at the table and turns to Chambers, but he's not there. He is helping Buffy.

"You okay?" Chambers asks.

Paige whispers to Willow, "Yep he likes Buffy."

Willow nods in agreement.

"Yeah. Boy, her hips are wider than I thought." Buffy says.

Chamber helps Buffy up, "At least now you don't have to eat the creamed corn. I'm Chambers."

"Oh, it's so nice to finally learn your name. I'm—" Buffy says.

"Buffy. We're in algebra together." Chambers says.

Buffy nods, "With Mr. McKamy."

"The one and lonely." Chambers says.

"Tell me, how does he manage to get chalk dust all over his—" Buffy says.

"I try not to think about that." Chambers says.

"This is my friend, Willow." Buffy says as she gestures at Willow and Paige. "And my sister, Paige." Dawn walks up to them. "And my other sister, Dawn."

"I took algebra last year because I'm a year ahead, so now I'm taking pre-calculus which is really hard, but I'm in the gifted class, well, my parents signed me up for it, how embarrassing is that, and maybe I should get a janitor to take care of this mess." Willow says before she goes off. "Clean up on aisle seven!"

Cordelia pulls Chambers back down to his seat. "Poor girl always forgets to take her medication. Hey, Chambers, a bunch of us are loitering at the Bronze tonight. You there?"

"Sounds hopeful. Who all's going?" Chambers asks.

"Well, there's me." Cordelia says.

"Oh. Who else?" Chambers says.

"You mean besides me?" Cordelia asks.

Chambers looks past Cordelia to Buffy, "Buffy, what about you?"

"What?" Buffy asks.

Paige and Dawn look to Buffy and shake their heads.

"No, she doesn't—" Cordelia says.

"How about we meet there at eight?" Chambers says to Buffy.

Cordelia glares at Buffy.

"Yeah. Eight. There." Buffy says. "I should probably get another lunch that isn't so... on the floor."

"I'll go with you. Cordelia, save our seats?" Chambers says standing up.

They head off, leaving Cordelia fuming.

Paige smiles as she and Dawn sits down, "Why don't you go sit somewhere else, Cordelia."

At the end of the school day. Students file out as Buffy and Willow come down the steps. Paige and Dawn are right behind them.

"Willow, it's not that big a deal. It's just a bunch of people getting together. I mean, sure, Chambers asked me specifically right in front of Cordelia. And, yeah, he gave me the marshmallows from his Jell-o during lunch. And then he walked me to History class and said 'I can't wait to see you tonight.'" Buffy said.

"I guess I blew it way out of proportion." Willow says.

"All right, it's a big deal. Did you notice how the corners of his mouth curled up when he chewed?" Buffy asks.

Paige shakes her head, "I think she missed that."

Willow nods, "I was too busy looking down and to the left of his 501 label."

"I'd like to see an IMAX of that." Buffy says before she stops herself. "Wait a minute."

"What's wrong?" Dawn asks.

"If you listen real close, I'm starting to sound like a regular teenager. I've got friends. I've got a date. All I need now are zits and an eating disorder." Buffy says.

Giles comes up to them. "Good afternoon, ladies."

"Although I should probably do something about that supernatural ability to destroy the undead." Buffy says.

"I'm under the impression there's some sort of ironic tone in that statement, but as an Englishman I'm incapable of discerning it." Giles says.

"Yeah? Well, that makes us even, because I don't get Benny Hill." Buffy says.

Paige nods in agreement, "The only one in our family who gets Benny Hill is Dawnie."

"I can't help it if my tastes are more refined than yours, Paige. Or yours, Buffy." Dawn says.

"In any case, that supernatural ability, which you should cherish and treasure, if I might add—" Giles says.

"You always do." Buffy says.

"—is needed tonight." Giles says.

"Close the beach on that idea. I've got a very big meeting tonight with - okay, let's just call him what he is - a god." Buffy says.

Giles shakes his head, "Oh, no. You have much more urgent business to attend to."

Paige and Dawn roll their eyes.

"More urgent than me moving past 'Buffy, The Celibate Years'? I don't think so." Buffy says.

"My books tell of a major event occurring on the evening of the 1,000th day after the Septugian Sunset. That's tonight." Giles says.

"Already? Seems like just last week was the 1,000th day after the last Septugian Sunset. Where does the time go?" Dawn says, jokingly.

"According to my calculations, we are due for a fresh rising of vampires. It is prophesied: 'On that day, seven souls will be captured into the darkness. And the Master will look upon one of them and be pleased.'" Giles says.

"Too bad, because I looked upon Chambers and was very pleased." Buffy says.

"The slayer must be present tonight. Your responsibilities to the world are paramount." Giles says.

"But... cute guy. Teenager. Post-pubescent fantasies." Buffy says.

"You'll have to put those on hold. For tonight, we do battle!" Giles says.

The cemetery is stone quiet as Paige, Buffy and Giles sit there, bored. Crickets chirp.

Buffy finishes off a huge soda with a slurp.

"Perhaps I miscalculated." Giles says.

"I'm thinking yes." Paige says.

"I was so sure." Giles says. "Well, you know what they say."

Buffy shakes her head, "Not really."

"Ninety percent of the vampire slaying game is waiting." Giles says.

"You couldn't have told me that ninety percent ago?" Buffy says.

"Oh, well. At least we were here at the ready, so it wasn't a completely wasted evening." Giles says.

"Yes, Giles, it was. But that's okay. I'm sure I'll have another shot at teenage happiness someday. Like when I'm thirty." Buffy says.

Paige rolls her eyes.

"Come now. What you consider a curse, others would call a gift. Be thankful you're not burdened with trivial matters like what to wear to next month's hay dance." Giles says.

"I think both Buffy and I wish we could worry about trivial things. And not that you'd care, but I'm thinking gingham." Paige says.

Buffy gathers her things, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I might still have a chance to salvage the remains of my dating career."

"I needn't warn you about the dangers of becoming personally involved with someone who is unaware of your unique condition." Giles says.

Buffy nods, "Yeah, yeah. I've read the back of the box."

"If your identity as the slayer is revealed, it could put you and those around you in grave danger." Giles says.

"Yeah. Which is why we haven't told mom yet." Paige says.

Buffy walks over to Paige and they orb out and in behind the Bronze.

"You want me to hang around?" Paige asked. "You know just in case."

"Nah I should be good, Paige." Buffy said as she gave her sister a hug and headed inside.

Paige waited a moment and then orbed out.

Inside Buffy stops short as she spots Chambers and Cordelia dancing wildly to the throbbing beat. She pulls him close.

Buffy turns and runs back out the door heading around the corner hoping Paige waited to find her already gone.

An hour later Buffy walks into her room and finds Paige waiting up for her.

"So how did it go?" Paige asks.

Buffy sighs, "It didn't. When I got inside I found he was dancing with Cordelia."

The next day at school Buffy slams her locker door.

"So you just went home?" Xander asks.

"That was my question." Paige says.

Buffy sighs, "What was I supposed to do? Say to Chambers, 'Sorry I'm late. I was sitting in a cemetery with the librarian waiting for some vampires to rise so that I could slam a few stakes into their hearts but it was a false alarm so now, hey, let's dance'?"

Xander weighs this with his hands, "Or... flat tire."

"Giles should come with a Surgeon General's warning: may be hazardous to Buffy's social life. He's completely not cognizant. It's as if he's never even been on a date." Buffy says.

"Distinct possibility." Xander says.

"I can't take this anymore. I feel like everyone's staring at me, the hideous dateless monster." Buffy says as a student walks past and Buffy tears into him. "That's right, I have no life. Move along, pal. Nothing to see here."

The student scurries on.

"You're overreacting, Buffy." Paige says. "Everyone likes you. You could have any guy in the school."

"That's a nice thing to say. You're a good sister." Buffy says.

Paige smiles, "I try to be."

Chambers comes up to them. "Hey, Buffy."

"Chambers." Buffy says.

"Oh, look, it's Chambers. Buffy and Chambers. And Xander and Paige. That'd be us." Xander says.

Xander moves aside pulling Paige with him as he begins rummaging through his locker.

"Where were you last night?" Chambers asks.

"Oh, I, uh... broke my watch, and we don't have any clocks in our house, so I didn't know what time it was, actually, I didn't even know what day it was. Was that last night? I'm sorry." Buffy says.

'Lame excuse, Buffy,' Paige thinks.

"How about we try again for tonight? I'll even lend you my watch." Chambers says.

Behind them, Xander rolls his eyes, trying not to gag.

Paige shakes her head at Xander's reaction and whispers to him, "And here you want me to go out with you and you get jealous of someone wanting to date my sister."

"Tonight? You and me?" Buffy asks.

Xander looks to Paige, "I-I-I…"

"Thought so," Paige whispers. "Then why are you jealous of Chambers?"

Xander lets out a sigh and whispers back, 'Well if you must know cause Buffy is my friend and I don't want to see her get hurt, okay. Satisfied now?"

"We could invite the chess club, but you know, they drink a lot." Chambers says.

"Well, no, it's just I kind of heard that you and Cordelia were somewhat... all over each other. A little." Buffy says.

Paige smiles and whispers, "That's nice Xander.

"I just danced with her a couple of times. She was there all alone. I felt sorry for her." Chamber says.

Xander 'finds' something in his locker. "Yay! I've been looking for this pen cap for weeks."

Paige rolls her eyes.

"Tonight." Buffy says, calculating in her head. "Let's see, if I rearrange, and move that to next week, and then shift that to - sure. Tonight'll work."

Chambers smiles, "I'll pick you up at seven."

"Seven." Buffy says.

Chambers hands Buffy his watch; pointing, "That's when the little hand's here."

"Ah, right between the six and the eight." Buffy says.

Chambers smiles, "See you then." He walks off.

"Tonight! Isn't that so?" Buffy says.

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure you and Gaggy Von Gaggenheimer will have a great time." Xander says.

Paige smiles, "I know make Xander happy."

Buffy laughs, "Yeah let's see Xander can you be at our house at seven?"

Xander looks between Paige and Buffy to see if they are joking. Then he looks at the seriousness of Paige's expression, "You really want to go out with me? I thought you weren't interested in me like that."

"I was also under a spell at the time I said that, Xander." Paige says. "Of course I'm interested in you like that."

Xander smiles, "Sure seven sounds great."

"Remember out house," Buffy says. "You come to our house to pick Paige up."

Xander nods, "Will do."

That evening Paige and Buffy are getting ready for their date. Dawn and Willow are there. Willow holds up to outfits for Paige and Buffy to choose.

"Pick." Willow says.

"Let's see. Do I want to appear shy, coy and naïve, or do I go unrestrained, insatiable and aggressive." Buffy says. "I think I'll mix-n-match."

"That sounds like a good idea, Buffy." Paige says.

"So Dawn which do you like?" Buffy asks.

Hmm the red's good. But I think I would go with the peach."

"Thanks. I'll go with the peach then." Buffy says.

"Then I'll go with the red." Paige says.

Willow hands Paige and Buffy some clothes, "Put this on."

Paige and Buffy changes into their outfits.

"So, where's Chambers taking you?" Willow asks.

"I don't know. Where do you suppose the young kids are going on dates these days?" Buffy says.

"Well, I read somewhere that sometimes they go to movies." Willow says.

Paige nods, "Movies. Interesting. I will Xander will take me." She notices Willow's look of disgust at the mention of Xander. "Willow don't tell me your still interested in Xander?"

"And if I am. Would you not go out with him tonight?" Willow says.

Paige sighs, "Willow, there is no guarantee anything will happen."

Willow sighs and nods, "I know. I can't help it if I feel a little jealous. You have a good time though, okay?"

Paige nods and hugs Willow, "I will."

The doorbell rings.

"That's Chambers!" Buffy says.

"Or it could be Xander." Paige says.

Moments later Buffy and Paige opens the door. Dawn and Willow stand in the hallway behind them.

"That's Giles." Buffy says.

"Tonight is absolutely the night." Giles says.

"We're not home." Paige says as she starts to close the door. He stops her.

"The prophecy is happening. Look." Giles says as he flips open a newspaper.

_SEVEN DIE IN VAN ACCIDENT._

"My theory was correct. Seven people were killed last night." Giles says.

"Yeah. In a car crash." Buffy says.

"Those deaths were forecast more than three thousand years ago. And listen to this." Giles says as he reads the newspaper. "Also among the dead was Andrew Borba, whom police had been pursuing for months in connection with a series of brutal assaults. That's the one the Master is waiting for. He is set to rise with the others tonight. My calculations make me sure of it."

"You were sure of it last night. You showed us charts and drafts and calendars." Paige says.

Giles hangs his head, "I forgot about leap year. Buffy, you have to believe me—"

"You expect me to buy into your open-to-interpretation interpretation when you can't even remember to carry the four?" Buffy says.

"You must answer your calling." Giles says.

"Last night I answered it and they put me on hold." Buffy says.

Xander and Chambers come up the walk; they're both carrying a carnation.

"Hey, guys." Chambers says. "What's Dewey Decimal doing here?"

"Oh. He's, uh, our promoting Bookmobile awareness. We call him gruff but lovable Giles. But enough about him. What's the plan?"

"What are your thoughts on bowling." Chambers says.

"That was my idea," Xander says to Paige.

"If it gets me off this doorstep, I'm for it." Buffy says.

Paige smiles, "It sounds very you, Xander."

Buffy and Paige push past Giles.

"So you're just going to go." Giles says.

"If you say so." Buffy says.

"You're just going to ignore the fact that you've been chosen and have a destiny to fulfill." Giles says.

Dawn, Willow and Xander, on alert, pull Chambers away from the conversation.

"Uh, Chambers—" Willow says.

"Yeah. A couple of things about tonight." Dawn says.

"What is it? She's not into bowling?" Chambers asks.

Dawn shakes her head, "No it's not that. I maybe the littlest sister here. But I still have to read you the shovel speech."

"Shovel speech?" Chambers asks.

"If you hurt my sister I will come after you with a shovel." Dawn says. "Of course that goes for you to Xander."

"You know what? I'll just kind of let Buffy lead." Chambers says.

"Duly noted, Dawn." Xander says.

"All right, then. I don't need you. This is a subject on which I am well versed. I've spent night after night in that library reading book after book after book—" Giles says.

"On the plus side, you've missed the career of Sheryl Crow." Paige says.

"One of us has to take your obligation seriously, and if it's not going to be you, then I'll go do it alone." Giles says.

"Fine. It should be very exciting for you doing absolutely nothing all by yourself." Buffy says.

"Ha! What you fail to realize is that that's what I do best!" Giles says as he storms off.

Buffy clenches her fists and groans angrily, then she and Paige turns to Chambers and Xander.

"Okay, all set!" Buffy and Paige says.

"Don't wait up." Buffy says to Willow and Dawn.

Buffy and Chambers start down the walk, followed by Paige and Xander.

"What was all that stuff he was saying about being 'chosen' and having a 'destiny'?" Chambers asks.

"He's grooming me to be the next librarian." Buffy says.

Back inside the house Willow and Dawn are talking.

"This is bad." Willow says. "We're going to have to take steps."

Dawn nods, "You have to go with Giles. He could get into trouble. Be careful."

"You sure you will be alright by yourself?" Willow asks.

Dawn smiles, "I'll be fine."

Later at the bowling alley Chambers launches a ball down an alley and into some pins.

"Yes!" Chambers says as he walks back to the score table where Buffy is sitting. "Picked up the spare." Buffy absent-mindedly twirls a pencil. "Buffy?"

"What? Oh, sorry." Buffy says, startled.

"Are you okay?" Chambers asks.

"I'm just... thinking about what Giles said." Buffy says.

"I guess the thing you've got to ask yourself is, is that what you really want to be?" Chambers says.

"What?" Buffy asks.

"A librarian?" Chambers says.

"Oh. Not even." Buffy says.

Chambers nods, "Well, there you go."

"You know, you're right. I do go there. Thanks." Buffy says as she grabs a ball.

"Now how do you do this again?" Buffy asks.

Paige shakes her head.

Chambers gets behind Buffy, showing her how to hold the ball.

"No offense Xander, but this is kinda boring." Paige says.

Xander nods, "Well what else would you like to do? Grab something to eat maybe?"

"Like this. And if it goes in the gutter, don't worry. It takes a long time to get good at this." Chambers says.

"I don't think I want to leave Buffy." Paige says.

Forgetting her own strength, Buffy sends the ball rocketing down the lane. It nearly pulverizes the pins.

"Keep at it. It'll come to you." Chambers says.

Buffy looks back at Paige and Xander for a moment before her eyes fall on a man in the next lane pull the hair back from a woman's neck and start to move in close.

Paige follows Buffy's gaze and gets up to stop her as she whispers, "Buffy. No. You don't know if he's a vampire."

The woman smiles as the man innocently kisses her on the neck.

Buffy looks at Paige and smiles her thanks, then she looks up and sees an elderly woman walk into the shadow of a doorway, followed by a mysterious looking guy - light skin, dark hair, dark clothing.

Paige once again shakes her head and grabs Buffy as she whispers, "This is a public place. It would be too conspicuous for a vamp to bite someone in here."

Buffy looks at the mysterious looking man and the elderly woman and then nods. Paige is right she knows.

"Did you want to go somewhere else?" Chambers asks.

Buffy shakes her head, "No, are you kidding? I am loving the bowling thing! You got your ball, you got your pins. No wonder it's America's second favorite indoor activity. You're up."

Chambers starts toward the lane.

Buffy gathers herself. "Okay, Buff, say hi to reality. Absolutely nothing is going to happen tonight."

Paige rolls her eyes.

Later Willow passes the mysterious looking guy as he walks out with an attractive woman.

"Sure, I worked with Fred Gwynne for years. Come back to my place and I'll tell you about the time me and Al Lewis filled his boots with rice pudding."

Paige, Xander, Buffy and Chambers are at the counter turning in their shoes.

Willow runs up, breathless. "Buffy, Paige, I'm glad I caught you."

"Well, look at this. You are just showing up everywhere." Chambers says.

"What are you doing here?" Buffy asks.

"Well see…" Willow says. "Paige get your hands off my man."

Xander looks at Willow and then Paige and back at Willow.

Willow mouths, 'Work with me.'

"Willow. Come on I told you I was going out with Paige now."

"Actually, we were just about to leave." Chambers says.

"Maybe we should all go somewhere together." Willow says. "You know more private to talk."

"Gee, that is so nice of you to ask." Buffy says. "But Chambers and I were kind of, well, Chambers and I."

Paige nods, "Yeah we were going to split let Chambers and Buffy have some alone time together. If you get my drift."

"Come on. We can go... some place. We can do... some things. It'll be a blast!" Willow says.

"Where were you thinking?" Buffy says.

Willow smiles, "Oh, there are so many options. You know what would be fun? I hear there's kind of like a party going on. At the cemetery. Giles is there."

"Thank you, I know." Buffy says.

"With some friends." Willow says.

Buffy looks at Paige and frowns as they both realize at the same time.

"Oh, no. Giles." Buffy says. "We've got to get over there."

"Cool. Party." Chambers says.

"Oh. Chambers. Maybe we should do the goodbye thing here." Buffy says.

"What do you mean?" Chambers asks.

"Well, this party... After bowling, it'll probably be anti-climactic." Paige says looking at Xander as she mouths, 'Make it believable for Chambers.'

Xander nods, "Yeah you're probably right."

"You guys don't want me to go?" Chambers says.

"No, it's just, well, you wouldn't really know anyone. They don't go to our school." Buffy says.

"That's okay. I'm always up for meeting new people." Chambers says.

"Buffy, we really need to get there." Willow says.

"I know, I know. But..." Buffy says as she looks up at Chambers; then gives up, "Okay let's go."

Later Buffy, Paige, Willow, Xander and Chambers run towards the mortuary. They hear a crash from inside.

"Must be a wild party." Chambers says.

"You guys stay here. Let me and Paige check it out." Buffy says as she and Paige runs ahead.

Inside two vampire henchmen are searching the place, overturning coffins, etc. Giles is nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly Paige and Buffy orb into the room.

"Viewing hours are over." Buffy says as one of the vampires lunges towards Buffy. She grabs his arm, twists him around, and holds his arm behind his back. "Funeral services will be held—" She reaches around and plunges a stake through his heart. "—now." And he dusts.

The other vampire is circling Paige. She holds him at bay with her stake. "Where do you want it?" The vampire kicks the stake out of Paige's hand. It goes flying across the room. "You really think I can't get that back. Stake!" The stake orbs into her hands as the vampire lunges at her and she plunges the stake through his heart. And he dusts.

"Buffy? Paige?"

Paige and Buffy looks around. "Giles?" The ask together.

"Buffy, Paige, I'm in here."

Paige and Buffy looks at all the drawers on the wall.

"Where?" Paige asks.

"In here."

Buffy goes to a drawer, opens it, and looks inside. "That's not Giles." She closes the drawer.

"Buffy... Paige…"

"We're trying, we're trying." Paige says as she opens another drawer, looks inside. "Ew, that had to hurt." She closes that drawer.

Buffy looks in another. "That's... well, that's just wrong." She closes the drawer and opens another.

Giles lays in the drawer next to a corpse. "How was your dates?"

"Apparently, better than yours." Paige says.

Buffy helps Giles out of the drawer.

"Well, I suppose I don't have to say that I was correct in my prediction." Giles says.

"Something tells me you will anyway." Buffy says.

"No, no. I won't bask in the glory and rub your nose in the fact that old Giles was right and that young, inexperienced Buffy was one-hundred percent wrong." Giles says.

"Thank you." Buffy says.

"It would only further heighten the current embarrassment you must be—" Giles says.

"Annoyance factor dangerously high." Buffy says.

"I'm done." Giles says.

"What were you thinking taking on vampires by yourself? You're a watcher, not a slayer or a witch with an active power." Paige says.

"What else could I do? You two were off acting like an irresponsible teenagers." Giles says.

"We are irresponsible teenagers." Buffy says.

"How long are you going to fall back on that hollow justification for your juvenile activities." Giles says.

"I'm thinking it should do me until I'm about twenty." Buffy says.

Xander, Willow, and Chambers come in.

"Where's the party?" Chambers asks.

"It's pretty much over." Paige says.

"On the contrary, it's just about to begin." Giles says.

"Meaning exactly- huh?" Buffy asks.

"Our previous two 'guests' were, as you noticed, only two. If you'll recall, the announcement about tonight's event specifically stated there would be seven in the attendance. Too, the invited ones will be dressed in, shall we say, their 'funeral best.'" Giles says.

"Because this is their first night." Paige says.

Giles nods, "Exactly. And we mustn't forget about the 'guest of honor' who will be rising- coming to the party this evening."

"So when do these guests arrive?" Buffy asks.

Unseen by everyone, a drawer on the wall behind them slowly opens and a vampire (the driver from the van) sits up.

"I have no idea. They were scheduled to be here by now." Giles says.

Still unseen, more drawers open, four more vampires (passengers from the van) sit up.

"Maybe this time you forgot to account for Daylight Savings." Paige says.

From behind them, they hear a voice.

"Sorry, we're late."

Buffy, Paige and the others turn to see the vampires have them surrounded. The vampires are partially dressed as if being prepared for burial: the van driver is in a suit, the young bride and groom are in a wedding dress and tuxedo, the mother is in a black dress, and the old man is in a naval uniform.

"These are your friends?" Chambers asks.

"No. They're crashers." Buffy says.

"Why do they look so weird?" Chambers asks.

"They're, uh, on something." Xander says.

"Probably PCP." Willow says.

Paige nods, "Just say no."

The vampires go after the group.

Paige and Buffy dives right in while Giles, Xander, and Willow go on the defense. They huddle close to Chambers, keeping the vampires at bay with some of the stuff from Giles' bag.

"Here. Hold this garlic." Giles says as he hands Willow some cloves.

"These are shallots." Willow says.

"Drat. I always get those confused." Giles says.

Xander pulls a cross out of the bag. "I think this is a cross."

"That should work." Giles says.

The vampires are all over Buffy and Paige. Buffy kicks one, Paige punches another, and the both elbow a third.

"Paige and Buffy's all alone out there. What are we doing just sitting here?" Chambers says.

"They knows what they're doing." Giles says.

"We've got to help them!" Chambers says as he breaks away and goes after the Groom, who is getting the upper hand on Buffy.

"Chambers, no-!" Buffy says. "Paige!"

Paige who is busy with a vamp looks over at Chambers.

Chambers puts his head down and rams the Groom in the midsection, pushing him up against a wall of drawers. Chambers follows up with a couple of hooks and an uppercut. The Groom goes down.

Chambers turns around and smiles at Buffy. "I'll bet he's sorry he messed with me."

The Groom immediately pops up behind Chambers, grabs him, and slams a drawer into his head.

The Groom holds the lifeless body up by the collar and taunts Buffy.

"Now see what you did? You went and got your friend killed." Groom says.

The Groom lifts Chambers' body over his head, then slams him into the ground. Buffy looks on, mortified.

Buffy then glares at the Groom.

"You've made me very angry." Buffy says.

Without shifting her gaze from the Groom, Buffy swiftly extends her arm to the side, landing a stake in the heart of the Mom vampire who was sneaking up from behind.

"This old guy's still got some life in him." Old Man Vamp says to Paige as he kicks her, but Paige grabs his leg and flips him backwards onto the floor.

"Famous last words." Paige says as she straddles the Old Man, takes a stake and stakes him.

The van driver runs towards Buffy from behind and leaps into the air.

Buffy tosses a stake backwards over her shoulder. It sails through the air and sinks into the Van Driver's chest just as he's coming down.

Three down.

The Groom grabs Buffy by her collar. He calls to the Bride. "Honey, I have a gift for you." He heaves Buffy through the air. Buffy slams into the wall and drops to the floor.

The Bride pulls Buffy up by the hair, and they struggle. Buffy tries to trap the Bride against the wall, but the Bride grabs Buffy's arms and pins them to her side. The Bride holds Buffy there. "I got her!"

"Not for long." Paige says. "Buffy!"

Buffy orbs out and orbs back in next to Paige. "Thanks for calling for me, sis. Shall we end this?"

Paige smiles and holds out her hands, "Stake!" Two stakes orb into her hand and she hands one to Buffy. "Shall we?"

Buffy tosses her staked and it lands in the Bride's chest and she dusts. "And you two made such a cute couple."

The Groom screams in rage, and charges at Buffy. She shoulders him in the mid-section and flips him straight up into the air.

Buffy kicks open a coffin. The Groom flies into the coffin. Paige plunges the stake through his heart and slams the lid closed.

And that is that.

Paige and Buffy looks around at the carnage, but their moment of victory is overshadowed by the sight of Chambers' body heaped in a corner.

Buffy walks over to him and kneels down. "Why did that stupid prophecy have to come true tonight?"

Giles puts a hand on her shoulder. "Evil does not like to wait."

"It waited three thousand years. It couldn't wait one more night?" Paige asks.

Giles sighs, "Buffy, I know this may be a small consolation, but you have done a great service to humankind. You prevented the chosen one from freeing the Master."

"So what? Chambers is dead. All these other people are dead. And for what? Why does this kind of stuff have to happen?" Buffy says.

"I gave up long ago trying to answer such questions." Giles says.

"These people didn't do anything wrong. They were just innocent victims. They didn't ask to be turned into vampires. They didn't know about any prophecy. I'll bet the chosen one didn't even know he was the chosen one." Buffy says.

There is a loud thud. They all turn to see the Militia vampire.

"I think he knows." Xander says.

Buffy rises to face her new challenger. She gives him the once over. There is a long beat. "He's big. Paige this one's mine."

"You can beat him, Buffy. Just remember your training. Don't try anything fancy. Stick with the fundamentals." Giles says.

"Stay out of it, Giles. This is between me and him." Buffy says as she begins to circle him. "You're the reason my date got killed."

Chambers eyelids begin to flutter as he comes to.

Willow sees this. "Buffy..."

Buffy and Militia are face-to-face. "By the time I'm done with you, you'll wish you were dead. Or, weren't dead. I mean—" She leaps onto him. They crash into a table full of urns, which collapses beneath them, sending up a cloud of ashes.

Chambers' moving now, trying to sit up.

"Buffy, Chambers is –" Xander says.

Paige and Giles puts up a hand to stop Xander.

Buffy pins Militia vamp to the ground.

"Let's give her a minute." Giles says.

"I'm in agreement with Giles." Paige says.

Buffy is on top of Militia, swinging wildly. "Our first date—" She hits him with a left hook. "—and I get the guy killed!" She hits him with a right hook. "What am I going to tell his parents?" She slams his head against the floor.

Militia kicks Buffy off. She goes flying across the room. Militia charges her and leaps. Buffy rolls out of the way and flips upright as Militia crashes onto the floor.

Militia reaches for Buffy. She dives into a somersault, lands on his opposite side, and kicks him in the ribs. Before he can counter she does a back flip, vaults off the coffin behind her, and lands with the coffin between them.

Militia gets to his feet and lunges at Buffy. She opens the coffin lid towards him, smashing him in the face. He staggers backwards into the corner of the room.

Buffy's got him where she wants him. She cartwheels over to him, ending with a flip, and lands facing the wrong way. She's staring at the corner of the room. She turns around, Militia is towering over her.

"Oops." Militia vamp says as he laughs maniacally.

Buffy looks around. She's trapped. "Paige!"

Militia grabs Buffy, opens his mouth, and aims at her neck. She strains to keep him away.

"The book! It'll know what to do." Giles says as he reaches into his bag and pulls out the large book.

"Now?" Buffy says.

Paige rolls her eyes, "Stake!" She lunges forward and plunges the stake through Militia's back and into his heart as he dusts.

Buffy dusts herself off, picks up the book and hands it to Giles. "Good thing you didn't bring the Cliff's Notes."

Paige rolls her eyes.

Chambers is coming out of his daze, not sure where he is. "Does anybody have an aspirin? Or sixty?"

Buffy smiles, "Chambers!" She rushes to him. "You're okay."

Chambers feels the back of his head. "Do I have another head back there?"

"I think it'll heal." Buffy says as she gingerly helps him to his feet.

"What happened to all those guys?" Chambers asks.

"We scared them away." Buffy says.

"Good, because, you know, I would have..." Chambers says.

"I know." Buffy says. "I'm sure this isn't what you expected on our first date."

"Yeah, I thought maybe we'd finish up at Ben & Jerry's—" Chambers says.

Paige smiles, "We still could. Finish our double date with a bang."

"No, I think I'll just walk home." Chambers says as he starts out, then turns back. "Um, which way is home?"

"I'll get you there." Buffy says as she reaches for him.

Chambers backs away from Buffy. "Uh, no. I'll go it alone." He walks off.

"We'll make sure he gets there okay." Xander says. "Sorry our date ended in such a downer, Paige."

Paige smiles, "So am I."

Xander and Willow follow after Chambers.

Giles zips up his bag. "Well, it's a good thing I planned ahead. Otherwise, you'd be merely the latest in a long line of slayers whose lives were cut short by carelessness and overconfidence. On top of that you would have lost one sister."

"Giles, you're gushing." Buffy says.

"I'm sure you're aware that your over-flamboyant moves nearly cost us our lies. Had you stuck to the fundamentals—" Giles says.

"Is that all you ever think about?" Paige asks.

Giles sighs, "Yes. That's what I'm supposed to think about. Plus Paige I think it's time we work on your assessment as well."

"Well, I think about other things. Like my life, my future, my kitchenette at the Old Single Woman's Home." Buffy says.

Giles shakes his head, "Must you always be so dramatic?"

"Paige, Dawn and I are high school sophomores. It comes with the package." Buffy says.

Giles nods, "You have duties as a slayer—"

"Didn't you see what happened here? I really liked Chambers, and now any chance I have with him is ruined because of my stupid destiny." Buffy says.

"Buffy, you cannot ignore who you are. Any more than Paige can ignore that she's a witch." Giles says.

"Hey, I never wanted this." Buffy says. "I like who I was before just fine. And you know what I liked best about then? I didn't know you!"

Paige sighs, "Our lives were simpler before Buffy became a Slayer. Even though I was obviously born a witch. I would not have actively trained in the use of my power or learned some martial arts to help Buffy if she had not been called. Our lives were much simpler back then."

The next day Buffy, Paige and Dawn is with Xander and Willow in the quad at school.

"Did Chambers get home okay?" Buffy asks.

Xander nods, "Yeah."

"Did he say anything about me?" Buffy asks.

"You mean specifically about you?" Willow asks.

"Or generally, in the area, in the ballpark, any sort of implication—" Buffy says.

"Buffy went on and on last night about Chambers." Dawn said.

"Oh, well, in that case, no." Xander said.

Willow nods, "But he was pretty incoherent, so maybe we missed it."

"You think?" Buffy asks.

"No." Xander says.

Buffy sighs, "I knew it. I totally blew it."

Chambers runs up to them. "Hey, Buffy."

Buffy smiles, "Chambers..."

Paige looks to Xander, "I think this is our stop." She hooks her arm around Xander's and pulls him away."

"Come on Dawn," Willow says. "Let's leave these two alone."

Dawn nods and follows Willow off.

"Hi." Chambers says.

Buffy smiles, "Hi." There is a long beat of silence. "This is going well."

"I'm sorry. I don't know how to say this, but, about last night—" Chambers says.

"You don't even have to. I'm sure you were pretty freaked out." Buffy says.

Chambers nods, "Totally."

"Okay, then." Buffy says.

"And I was kind of hoping I could see you again." Chambers says.

Buffy stands there stone-faced. She snaps out of it. "I'm sorry. That was my hopeful ear." She turns her head. "Could you say that again?"

Chambers smiles, "You are the most amazing girl I've ever met. You're so sweet, but there's something... dangerous about you."

"Really?" Buffy says, smiling.

"Last night was incredible. When can we do it again?" Chambers says.

"Again." Buffy says.

Chambers nods, "How about tonight?"

"Tonight would be—" Buffy starts, but she stops herself. Something isn't right here. "—not a workable thing."

"Tomorrow, then? Or some other time?" Chambers says. "I quit the debate team, so I am free any night this week."

"Actually, you see, the thing is..." Buffy says, struggling for words. "You're a really nice guy. But the timing's all off."

The meaning of Buffy's words sink in.

"Oh. Timing." Chambers says.

"Don't take this personally, I mean, it's not you, it's me." Buffy says.

Chambers nods, "Right. It's you."

"Believe me, it's me. I've just got to take some time and balance out some things in my life. Because you see, I'm... different. And I think after a while you'd want something that's a little more, well, there. But I'm still hoping—" Buffy says.

Chambers nods, "I get it. You just want to be friends."

Buffy smiles, "That'd be nice."

Chambers backs away, "Yeah. Great. Friends." He turns and goes. Buffy watches him disappear into the mass of students.

"That must have been terribly hard for you." Giles says.

Buffy spins around and sees Giles. She tenses up, then softens. "Yeah, it was."

"He cares for you very much." Giles says.

Buffy sighs, "That's why I had to end it. Chambers was way too into what was going on last night. If we'd kept going out, he could have ended up getting killed. Or worse."

"I'm afraid you're probably right." Giles says.

"And I thought, I'm not being fair to him. He deserves a normal life. He shouldn't have to put up with all..." Buffy says, "…this."

Giles nods, "No one should."

"But I'm sure there will be other gorgeous guys who would do anything for me and are perfect in every way. Oh, wait, no there won't. Because I'm a freak." Buffy says.

Giles looks across the campus. Groups of students are hanging out, talking, laughing. "You know, there's no reason we absolutely have to train tonight. According to my calculations, no uprisings are planned for at least another twenty-three days."

"Should I ink that, or just pencil it?" Buffy asks.

"Let me get back to you." Giles says.

They head towards the library.

On the otherside of the quad; Willow, Xander, Dawn and Paige had been watching Buffy.

"Xander?" Paige asks.

Xander nods, "You just want to be friends?"

"I don't know. Let me think about it. Unlike Chambers and Buffy. You know the score. You know to be careful. Let's see what tomorrow brings. If I still feel something for you then we'll go on from there."


	5. Chapter 5: Angel

**Chapter 5: Angel**

A cockroach skittered across the floor of the Bronze. A foot zeroed in on it as someone urged in an amused voice, "Get it."

"I got it," a girl announced, and lifted the dead roach off the floor like a trophy. She plopped it into a plastic container on a passing waiter's tray that was half-full with its deceased insectoid brethren and said, "Free drink, please." The waiter, in a silvery T-shirt, nodded happily at her.

Against a backdrop of a banner that read: FUMIGATION PARTY. Find a cockroach, get a free drink. Willow Rosenberg sat across from Paige and Buffy.

Willow said wryly, "Ah, the fumigation party."

Buffy was fiddling, but she stirred enough to say, "Hmm?"

"It's an annual tradition," Willow went on. "The closing of the Bronze for a few days to nuke the cockroaches."

"Oh."

Willow persisted. "It's a lot of fun." She smiled kindly at her very glum buddy and said, "What's it like where you are?"

Buffy looked up and laughed, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking about . .. things."

Paige understood at once. "Things and stuff. So we're talking about a guy?"

Buffy grimaced and laughed shortly. "Not exactly. For us to have a conversation about a guy there would have to be a guy for us to have a conversation about." She wrinkled her nose. "Was that a sentence?"

Paige rolled her eyes, "Sure, sis. Whatever you say."

Willow said, "You lack a guy."

Sighing, Buffy moved her head. "I do. Which is fine with me most of the time but—"

"What about Angel?" Willow asked.

Paige sighed, "Please Willow, don't get her started."

Buffy made a little face. "Angel? I can just see him in a relationship." She lowered her voice, guy-like: "Hi, honey, you're in grave danger. I'll see you next month."

"See what I mean?" Paige said.

Willow looked to Paige and nodded. Sympathetically, she offered, "He's not around much, it's true."

Buffy couldn't seem to stop the smile that crossed her face. She looked radiant as she said, "When he's around, it's like the lights dim everywhere else. You know how it's like that with some guys?"

Willow said, "Oh, yeah."

She gazed at the dance floor where Xander Harris was grooving, his dark, curly hair boyishly hanging in his eyes. He was practically doing aerobics, goofing in a way that Willow understood all too well: I'm so into my nerdhood you cannot mock me for it. But Xander was not nerdy. Just underappreciated and undervalued. He didn't realize it. But she did.

She so did.

Xander kept on pumping his arms, promoting his night fever routine as Annie Vega glanced his way. He said cheerily, "Hey, Annie," and then when her Neanderthal boyfriend glared at him, added, "Vito! Just leaving."

He swam off in another direction and collided with that foxy landshark known as Cordelia Chase.

"Ouch!" Cordelia cried. "Please keep your extreme oafishness off my two-hundred-dollar shoes."

Man the lifeboats, Xander thought, and said, "Sorry. I was just—"

"Getting off the floor before Annie Vega's boyfriend squashes you like a bug?"

Xander grinned proudly. "Oh, so you noticed."

"Uh-huh."

"Well, thanks for being so understanding."

She flashed him her haughty evil-eye and said, "Sure."

"And I don't know what everyone's talking about," he added in a friendly tone. Then he lobbed the grenade. "That outfit doesn't make you look like a hooker."

If you can't join 'em, psych 'em out—or die trying.

He left the floor while he was maybe ahead, and caught up with his three main gals, Paige, Buffy and Willow, who looked like they were having as much fun as was humanly possible if they were dead.

"Boy, that Cordelia's a regular breath of vile air," he said. When they didn't respond, he cocked his head and said, "What are you vixens up to?"

Willow said, "Just sitting here watching our barren lives pass us by. Oh, look, a cockroach."

Whomp! The sucker didn't have a chance. Xander was about to congratulate her on her technique when he saw not a flicker of predatory satisfaction on her face. Buffy looked even worse. And Paige kept staring at her sister with a worried look.

"Whoa, stop this crazy whirligig of fun," he drawled. "I'm dizzy."

Buffy activated. She said, "All right, now I'm infecting those near and dear to me. I'll see you guys tomorrow." She prepared for liftoff. "Paige?"

Willow said, "Oh, don't go."

Xander piped up, "Yeah, it's early! We could, um, dance." He looked to Paige as he said that last part and broke into his standard disco routine.

"I'm Buffy's ride home. So if she wants to go… Rain check," Paige said, as she and Buffy pushed away from the table. "I promise Xander. Maybe we can have the second date soon?"

Xander smiled and nodded, "I'd like that. Though this time no cemetaries."

"Deal," Paige said. "'Night." And then they left.

Surrounded by people and noise, Angel stood alone as he watched Buffy and Paige heading for the Bronze's exit door. He stood in shadow, his face clouded with longing and worry.

Almost as if she sensed him, Buffy looked up.

But he was gone by then.

"Is there something wrong?" Paige asks.

"No." Buffy said as she and Paige moved on.

The street was deserted of people as Buffy and Paige headed for home.

"You sure you don't want to orb?" Paige asked.

Buffy shook her head, "No I want to walk home tonight."

In the distance an ambulance siren wailed; car horns sounded. Yet, beneath the traffic din, they heard a noise. They slowed and looked back. There was nothing there, but often there seemed to be nothing there while some demon stalked them.

"Anything?" Paige asked knowing Buffy's senses were better than hers because of the Slayer.

Buffy shrugged, "I'm not sure. Just be ready."

They walked on.

As they half-expected, they heard another sound. They took a few more steps, then stopped. This time they didn't turn around as Buffy said, with resignation and determination in her voice, "It's late. I'm tired and I don't want to play games. Show yourself."

Something dropped to the ground behind them, savagely growling as Buffy and Paige each whipped a stake out of their jackets and whirled around. As Buffy raised the stake high to strike, a hand grabbed her wrist from behind.

A hand with talons for fingernails. It was joined by the hand of another, which yanked her arm. The first twisted her wrist until the stake clattered to the cement.

Paige was facing yet a third vampire.

They were dressed in weird armor, uncommonly strong, even for vampires.

Buffy said, "Oh, okay nice. Hey, ow, okay. I'm letting go. Paige and I don't want to fight all three of you."

Without warning, Buffy kicked the vampire in front of her—he wore a braided ponytail and a wicked-ugly set of fangs—right where it counted. "Unless we have to," she said, and they were off. As the ponytail guy doubled over, another one, who had a scar that had sealed his eye shut, slammed her in the back.

They flung Buffy against a chain link fence. Then she was grabbed from behind as One-Eye moved in for the kill. He bared his fangs and lowered his face toward her neck. She smelled death on him.

Her death.

Paige elbowed her vampire, too distracted to notice how close Buffy was coming to being bitten.

Suddenly a familiar voice rang out as someone yanked One-Eye's head back.

Angel.

He said, "Good dogs don't bite."

Buffy threw herself backward, kicking her legs up and catching her captor in the head. He went down.

Ponytail grabbed Paige and threw her against the fence as Angel dodged One-Eye.

Angel moved like a panther: fast, savage, and deadly. He went for the one who had fallen as One-Eye ripped a pointed spike off the wrought iron fence and lunged at him.

"Look out!" Buffy shouted as he slashed Angel across the ribs. "Paige!"

Paige expertly switched positions with Buffy who fought Ponytail, smashing his head back with her open hands, and then slamming both her fists, doubled together like a wrecking ball, into his face.

Angel was down; Buffy paused to kick One-Eye in the face, then urged Angel to his feet as Paige grabbed Buffy and Angel's hands and orbed out.

As they orbed into the backyard of the Summers house Buffy spared a glance at Angel; he was holding his side. She frowned, worried. Dashing ahead of Angel and Paige she opened the back door. She herded them inside, yelling, "Get in! Come on!" She quickly shut the door and locked it.

Angel said, "It's all right. A vampire can't come in unless it's invited."

"We've heard that before, but we've never put it to the test." Paige said.

Buffy went straight into the living room and looked out window and noticed the three vampires paced the porch, growling. They knew where she and Paige lived. Orbing home only bought them time. Still she didn't know how long they would loiter, but it appeared Angel was right. They weren't going to be able to come in without an invitation. A comfort, that.

As was the sight of Angel standing in their house, hurt, but alive and staring back at Buffy with his dark, penetrating eyes.

Buffy said, "I'll get some bandages. Take your jacket and your shirt off."

Angel and Paige followed her into the kitchen. Angel sheds his black jacket and pulling his white T-shirt over his head. Buffy reached to get the first aid kit out of the cupboard.

Then as Buffy turned and saw that he had his back to her and was naked from the waist up, her heart began to pound. She paused, hypnotized by the sleek taper of the muscles in his back and his arms, the smooth skin on the nape of his neck.

Paige noticed a large tattoo of a flying creature rippled on his right shoulder as he moved slightly, "Nice tattoo."

Then Buffy began to bandage his wound. He was cold. That made sense; he was shirtless and it was chilly out. His wound was deep, and she was surprised that he didn't seem to be in more pain.

Buffy said, "We were lucky you came along." She tilted her head up at him and asked with a tinge of mock suspicion, "How did you happen to come along?"

Angel replied, his voice soft and deep, "I live nearby. I was just out walking."

"So you weren't following me?" Paige asked.

"I had this feeling you were." Buffy said.

His smile was faint, but it was there. "Why would I do that?"

Buffy spoke rapidly, her fingers ripping through the sterile packaging in the kit. "You tell us. You're the Mystery Guy who appears out of nowhere." She gave a little laugh. "I'm not saying I'm not happy about it tonight, but if you are hanging around us, I'd like to know why."

She finished the bandage and straightened up.

He said looking at Buffy, "Maybe I like you."

Buffy stared up at him, catching the scent of his body, the light sweat, the smell of soap or maybe incense.

"Maybe?" she asked, somewhere between hopeful and playful.

He made no answer, only gazed at her. Buffy took a breath.

Just then the front door opened.

Paige and Buffy raced to the door. Their mother and Dawn was still standing on the porch, putting her keys back in her purse and reaching to open the mailbox. Buffy jerked her mother inside and she and Paige scanned for the enemy.

Joyce said, "Honey, what are you doing?"

After she and Paige glancedg out at the yard, Buffy quickly closed and locked the door. "There's a lot of weird people out at night, and I just feel better with you safe and sound inside."

"You must be beat!" Paige said thinking about Angel in the kitchen. She looked to Dawn and mouthed, 'Vampire.'

Dawn nodded as she pats the location of her hidden wand to let Paige know she is ready just in case.

Joyce nodded. "I am. For a little gallery, you have no idea how much—"

"Why don't you go upstairs and get into bed, and I can bring you some hot tea." Buffy said.

Joyce looked pleasantly surprised. "That's sweet. What did you do?"

"What do you mean? We didn't do anything – We're concerned about your needs, can't a daughter –" Paige said as Dawn's gaze ticked past her and she knew Angel just walked into the room.

Joyce's gaze fell on Angel as she said, "Hi."

Behind Paige and Buffy, Angel answered, "Hi."

Buffy blathered, "Uh, okay. Um, Angel, this is our mom and our sister Dawn. Mom, this is Angel. We ran into each other on the way home."

Angel said, "Hello. Nice to meet you."

"What do you do, Angel?" Joyce asked, very politely squaring off as Angel hesitated: older guy versus dateable girl's parent. Round one.

Buffy covered for him, saying, "He's a student." She realized he looked a little too old to be in high school. "First year community college. Angel's been helping me and Paige with our history." She laughed. "You know we've been toiling there."

It was unclear how much, if any, of that their mother believed. Joyce said, "It's a little late for tutoring. I'm going to go to bed, and . . . Buffy? Paige?"

Hint, hint.

"We'll say good night and do the same," Buffy promised.

Joyce gave Angel another scrutinizing once-over. "It was nice to meet you." She looked to her youngest. "Dawn I expect you in bed in fifteen minutes."

She headed upstairs.

The Slayer held the front door to her home open and called loudly, "Good night. We'll hook up soon and do that study thing."

She shut the door and looked to Paige as her eyes flickered up. Paige nodded and grabbed Angel's hand and orbed him upstairs before orbing back downstairs. Then they headed upstairs to their bedroom.

Quietly Angel said as Paige shut the door, "Look, I don't want to get you two in any more trouble."

"And we don't want to get you dead," Buffy insisted. "They could still be out there. So, uh. Oh." She looked around, almost as if she had never been in her own room before. "Three of us," she said awkwardly. "One bed. That doesn't work. Um, why don't you take the bed? You know, because you're wounded."

Angel was touched by the sisters concern. He said firmly, "I'll take the floor." To cut off their protest, he added, "Oh, believe me, I've had worse."

"Okay." Buffy gestured toward the window. "Then, ah, why don't you see if the Fang Gang is loitering and, um, keep your back turned while Paige and I change."

Angel smiled and crossed to the window, dutifully turning his back. He could hear the rustle of clothing as he studied the black night. Nothing moved outside, as if all was serene.

"I don't see them," he reported.

"You know, I'm the Chosen One," Buffy said. He kept his back turned, unsure if Buffy and Paige were finished dressing. "It's my job to fight guys like that. What's your excuse?"

"Somebody has to," he murmured. "What's your sister's excuse?"

Paige smiled, "I'm a witch of course. Besides someone has to help Buffy."

"Well, what does your family think of your career choice?" Buffy asked.

Angel replied simply, "They're dead."

Buffy and Paige turned toward him. The moonlight streaming through the window blinds cast shadows across his face almost like bars. His profile was sharply chiseled, and with her gaze, Buffy traced the silhouette. She asked quietly, "Was it vampires?"

He turned toward them, his face filled with unspoken pain.

"It was."

"I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago." His voice betrayed buried sorrow, hidden anger.

"So this is a vengeance gig for you?" Paige asked.

For a moment there was silence. Then he looked at Buffy, really looked, and said, "You even look pretty when you go to sleep."

Buffy smiled weakly and said, "Well, when I wake up, it's an entirely different story. Here." She handed him a quilt and a pillow. "Sleep tight."

In the moonlit stillness they lay, Buffy and Paige on their bed, he on the floor. All of them awake, all of them staring at the ceiling, each acutely aware of the presence of the other. They had faced death together, and now they faced the nearness of each other.

"Angel?" Buffy whispered.

"Hmmm?"

"Do you snore?"

He smiled, just a little. "I don't know. It's been a long time since anybody's been in a position to let me know."

Buffy's smile was bigger than his.

Paige rolled her eyes.

The next day, in what doubled as Slayage World Headquarters—the Sunnydale High School library—Paige and Buffy told Dawn, Xander, Willow, and Giles what had happened the night before.

"He spent the night? In your room? In your bed?" Xander almost shouted.

Paige flushed at her friend's outrage. "Not in our bed. By our bed."

"That is so romantic," Willow said dreamily. No outrage there. A little envy, maybe. "Wow. Did you, uh, I mean did he, uh—"

"It would have been more romantic without a sister who shares a room with me. No offense, Paige." Buffy said before answering Willow's unfinished question. "Perfect gentleman."

"None taken." Paige said. "Sometimes I too wish we had separate rooms. At least Dawn gets her own. And he was definitely a perfect gentleman."

"Oh, Buffy, come on! Wake up and smell the seduction." Xander frowned big time. "It's the oldest trick in the book."

Buffy asked pointedly, "Saving mine and Paige's lives? Getting slashed in the ribs?"

"Du-uh. Guys'll do anything to impress a girl." Xander looked at Paige as he pushed out his chest. "I once drank an entire gallon of Gatorade without taking a breath."

Willow nodded, backing him up. "It was pretty impressive." Then she made a little face. "Although later there was an ick factor. . . ."

Giles approached, carrying a huge black leather-bound book. "Can we steer this riveting conversation back to the events that took place earlier in the evening? You two left the Bronze and were set upon by three unusually virile vampires . . ."

Giles laid down the book and pointed to an engraving. "Did they look like this?"

They were Paige and Buffy's three vampire amigos.

Paige nodded, "Yeah that's them."

Buffy nodded. "Yeah. What's with the uniforms?"

Giles looked grim but satisfied. "It seems you two encountered the Three—warrior vampires, very proud and strong."

Willow blinked, impressed. "How is it you always know this stuff? You always know what's going on. I never know what's going on."

Giles waved a hand at the piles of dusty books as he sipped from a coffee cup. "Well, you weren't here from midnight to six researching it." Buffy's call had reached him just as he was ready to turn in.

Sheepishly Willow agreed. "No, I was sleeping."

Giles turned to Buffy and Paige. "Obviously, you two are hurting the Master. He wouldn't send the Three for just anyone." He thought a moment, cleaning his glasses. "We must step up our training with weapons."

Xander added, "Paige, you'd better stay at my place until these samurai guys are history. And Buffy and Dawn can stay at Willow's."

Buffy wasn't quite sure she'd heard him right. "What?"

"Don't worry about Angel," he went on. "Willow can run over to your house and tell him to get out of town fast."

Giles shook his head. "Angel, Paige and Buffy are not in immediate jeopardy. Neither is Dawn for that matter." He put his glasses back on. "Eventually the Master will send someone else, but in the meantime, the Three, having failed, will offer up their own lives as penance."

Later the library door was half covered with a large sign that read, Closed for filing. Please come back tomorrow.

Paige and Buffy peered into a large locker filled with weaponry. Some girls got to spend their afternoons picking out slip dresses, and some girls got to try machetes on for size.

"Cool, a crossbow," Buffy said as she touched the ancient weapon. Then she saw the arrows—more

correctly, the bolts. She started to load the weapon. "Huh, check out these babies," she purred. "Goodbye stakes, hello flying fatality." Eagerly, she looked around. "What can I shoot?"

Paige rolled her eyes.

Looking perturbed with her—a frequent occupational hazard for this Slayer—Giles, in padded gear, took the crossbow and put it away, saying firmly, "Nothing. The crossbow comes later. You two must first become proficient with the basic tools of combat. Let's begin with the quarter staff." He plucked up three long wooden poles and handed one to each of them. "Which, incidentally, will require countless hours of rigorous training. I speak from experience."

Paige looked at the pole, then at him, and almost cracked up. "Giles, twentieth century?" she said. "We're not going to be fighting Friar Tuck."

Cracking up was the farthest thing from his mind. He replied with all his British-accented seriousness,

"You two never know with whom—or what—you may be fighting." He put on a padded helmet. "And these traditions have been handed down through the ages." He picked up the quarter staff. "Now you both show me good, steady progress with the quarter staff, and in due time we'll discuss the crossbow."

He held the quarter staff across his body with both hands and got ready to rumble, Giles-style. "Now, put on your pads," he told them.

Buffy cocked her head. "We're not going to need pads for you."

They block and parry several times, Giles barely keeping up with the both of them. Then they wipe the floor with him, Buffy hits him high, Paige hits him low and then they both hit him in the middle together knocking him flat on his ass.

Breathing hard, he stared up at the sisters and wheezed, "Good. Let's move on to the crossbow."

Paige smiled, "By the way. If we were fighting Friar Tuck. Pole!" Giles pole orbed into Paige's hand.

"Yes your right," Giles said. "I forget sometimes how useful that power of yours is Paige. You could very easily disarm an opponent with ease before they could come within range."

That evening Buffy, Paige, Dawn and Joyce are eating dinner.

"I have to call the exterminator, I heard mice or something upstairs today . . ." Joyce said.

Buffy smiled, "I bet they'll go away in a day or so - are those new curtains?"

Joyce turned to look as Paige and Dawn rolled their eyes. Buffy empties most of her plate of food into a large plastic baggie in her lap.

Joyce turned back to face her daughters. "Aunt Lolly made those when you and Paige were five."

"What am I thinking? I know what I'm thinking, more protein. Your chicken rocks, Mom." Buffy said as she gets up, and serves herself some more.

"We have an appetite tonight. So tell me about this young man Angel. When are you going to see him again?" Joyce said.

"Soon . . ." Buffy said a smile on her lips.

"He's doing more than helping you and Paige with history, isn't he?" Joyce said. "I mean you've got Willow for that, and Paige has Dawn for that. Plus I saw the way you looked at each other, Buffy. We've talked about taking these things slowly. You know how a glacier moves a few feet every year? That kind of slowly."

"Okay, so slower than you and Dad took it." Paige said in defense of her sister.

Joyce nodded, "Touché. Do you three want to hear the lecture or do you know it by heart?"

"You were young, you were in love, what you weren't was through with college, focused on a career and . . . no help from the audience, please, in possession of your own identity." Buffy said.

"That pretty much covers it." Joyce said. "You cleaned your plate again?"

Under the table Buffy slid the bag of food to Paige who orbed it upstairs onto their dresser.

Later Buffy opened hers and Paige's bedroom door, and she, Paige and Dawn slipped in, and shut the door behind them.

"Angel?" Buffy said.

"Hey," he said. He stepped from the shadows as if he had blended into them, as if they were some kind of protective coloring.

"Don't do that." Dawn said.

Buffy picked up the plastic bag off the dresser and said, "Paige orbed up you some dinner." He looked curiously at the bag, then back up at Buffy's face. "It's a little plateless, sorry. So. What'd you do all day?"

"I read a little." He gestured toward Buffy and Paige's shared dresser. "And just thought about a lot of things." His face was deadly serious. "Buffy, I—"

Buffy was looking in the direction he had pointed. The dresser. Her diary lay on the top of the dresser. As she registered its presence, her mouth dropped open in horror. "My diary?" she squeaked. "You read my diary?"

Paige and Dawn looked at each other and Dawn quietly says, "Good night," and slips out of the room heading for her own.

Buffy marched to the dresser, put the diary in the top drawer, and slammed it shut.

"That is not okay. A diary is a person's most private place and you don't even know what I was writing about. Hunk can mean a lot of things, bad things, and where it says your eyes are 'penetrating' I meant to write 'bulgy'—"

"Buffy, I—" he said, stepping toward her.

"And A doesn't stand for Angel, for that matter. It stands for . . . Achmed, a charming foreign exchange student, and so that whole fantasy part has nothing to do with you at all—"

"Buffy, let him finish." Paige said. "I'm betting you he didn't read it."

"Your mother moved your diary when she came in to straighten up. I watched her from the closet. I didn't read it, I swear." Angel said.

"Oh." Buffy took that in. Diary: still private. Then she realized how she'd babbled on about all the good parts in the diary just like some babbling brook thingie. Damage: worse than if he had read it. "Ohhhhh."

Angel didn't seem to notice Buffy's acute humiliation. He was focused on something else. Something more intense to him. "I did a lot of thinking today," he began. "I can't really be around you."

Paige turned and grabbed her stuff heading to the bathroom, giving Buffy and Angel a little privacy.

Oh, no. Buffy shrugged to show she wasn't dying inside. "Hey, no big."

"Because when I am—"

"Water over . . . the bridge—" Wait. That wasn't right. . .

"All I can think about is how badly I want to kiss you," he continued, but it didn't register with her at first.

She pressed on resolutely, determined not to let him see how very much she so did not want him to leave her life: "It's under the bridge, over the dam . . ." and then she heard what he had said. "Kiss me?" she echoed, looking up at him.

His face lost none of its seriousness. He was finding no joy in telling her this. "I'm older than you, and this can't ever . . ." He stopped, then seemed to surrender to something. "I should go."

She asked softly, "How . . . how much older?"

Again he hesitated. He looked deeply into her eyes. A rush of warmth shot through her; head to toes, she tingled. Her face was hot. Her hands were cold.

"I should . . ."

"Go, you said." She moved toward him, knowing that he wasn't going. Knowing, with a thrill, that he couldn't make himself leave.

She lifted her chin; he cradled it with his fingers. Then his lips were on hers. It was the softest kiss; tender, unsure.

Angel, Buffy sang inside. Everything else fell away: being the Slayer and being sixteen and being anything or anywhere but in Angel's arms, and kissing Angel's mouth.

They both tensed as the kiss became more passionate. Yes. She gave herself to the moment, held tightly in his arms as she kissed him fiercely and he kissed her back with increasing intensity. His hand gripped her arms, pulling her closer, then . . . She realized he was struggling against her, trying to push himself free.

He backed away and averted his face.

"What?" she asked, panting a little. "Angel, what's wrong?"

Suddenly, he looked at her. The dark eyes were wild and blank, like an animal's. His soft mouth was pulled back, revealing sharp, pointed teeth . . .

Fangs.

She screamed in terror.

Snarling, Angel dove out the window. He rolled down the roof, hit the ground, and raced into the night as Buffy kept screaming as Paige orbed in.

"Buffy?" Paige asked.

The door to her bedroom burst open. Their mother ran in, calling, "Buffy, what happened?"

Buffy fought to catch her breath. She could say nothing. How to explain? Where to begin?

"Nothing," she managed. "I saw a shadow."

Joyce looked to Buffy unsure if she really believed her daughter before turning and leaving the room closing the door behind her.

"What happened really?" Paige asked.

"Angel's a vampire." Buffy said, visibly shaken.

Paige's eyes go wide as she looked towards the window Angel had dived out.

"Angel's a vampire?" Willow's stunned reaction mirrored Buffy's own the next morning.

The light of day hadn't diminished the shock as Buffy was sharing Angel's terrible secret with the Scooby Gang at school the next morning.

Buffy felt sick. "I can't believe this is happening. One minute we're kissing, the next minute . . ."

Paige looked to her sister with concern and then knowing what Buffy wanted to know she turned to Giles and asked. "Can a vampire ever be a good person? Couldn't it happen?"

Though Giles could be the soul of tact, he had never actually lied to them. At least, not that they knew of.

"A vampire isn't a person at all. It may have the movements, the memories, even the personality of the person it took over. But it is a demon at the core. There's no halfway." Giles said.

Dawn looked at Buffy. "So that'd be a no, huh?"

Buffy couldn't believe it. "Well, then, what was he doing? Why was he . . . good to me? Was it all some part of the Master's plan? It doesn't make sense." Besides, it's too horrible to be true.

Bone weary, soul wounded, Buffy sat with Dawn, Paige and Willow on one of the benches in front of the school. Xander, silent up to now, sat down next to them, grasping his skateboard.

"All right, you have a problem and it's not a small one," he began. "Let's just take a breath and look at this calmly and objectively."

Buffy half-nodded. He was making sense. She waited, with hope, for the solution to her problem.

And Xander handed it to her: "Angel's a vampire, Buffy you're a Slayer, Paige and Dawn are witches who have dedicated their lives to helping Buffy. I think it's obvious what you three have to do."

No, Buffy thought desperately. She looked to Giles.

Giles sighed. "It is the Slayer's duty. Plus Xander is right Paige and Dawn are really the only ones who can truly help you since they have gifts as well."

Xander continued. "I know you have feelings for this guy, Buffy, but it's not like you're in love with him, right?"

Buffy said nothing, but Xander must have read the answer on her face. He blew up. "You're in love with a vampire?" he said loudly. "What, are you out of your mind?"

"What!"

Standing directly behind him, Cordelia Chase reacted with shock.

Xander looked stricken. "Not vampire." He said sternly to Buffy, "How can you love an umpire? Everyone hates them!"

"And yet you're in love with me." Paige said.

Cordelia's nostrils flared like those of a bull ready to charge. Delicately, however. "Where did you get that dress?" she demanded.

Buffy, Paige, Dawn and the others watched as the cheerleader zeroed in on another girl crossing the quad in the exact same dress as Cordelia's, black with a colorful pop-art design. Cordelia snapped, "This is a one-of-a-kind Todd Oldham. Do you know how much this dress cost?"

The girl tried to scoot away, but Cordelia was having none of it. She grabbed the back of the girl's dress and tried to read the label, hissing, "It's a knockoff, isn't it?"

The girl renewed her efforts to escape. The queen of the fashion police gave chase. "It's a cheesy knockoff! This is what happens when you sign these free trade agreements."

Dawn quipped, "And we think we have problems."

Later in the school library, Paige, Willow and Buffy sat at the table while Xander stood to one side. All were looking through books about demons and vampires.

"Here's something at last," Giles announced, as he and Dawn emerged from the stacks and shattering the silence.

Xander jumped perhaps a foot. "Can you please warn us before you do that?"

Giles and Dawn were carrying some very old, weathered-looking books. Ignoring Xander, Giles continued, "There's nothing about Angel in the texts, but then it occurred to me it's been ages since I read the diaries of any of the Watchers before me."

Willow looked brightly at Buffy. "That must have been so embarrassing when you thought he'd read your diary, but then it turned out he felt the same way that—" She caught herself and said to Giles, "I'm listening."

Dawn referred to one of the volumes she was holding and said, "There's a mention some two hundred years ago in Ireland of Angelus, the one with the angelic face."

Buffy's expression was ironic. "They got that right."

Xander coughed. Everyone looked at him. He put on a innocent expression and said, "I'm not saying anything. I have nothing to say."

Paige leans over and whispered to Xander, "Don't tell me you're playing the big brother card?"

"And if I am?" Xander whispered back

Checking the book as Dawn handed it to him, Giles said, "Does Angel have a tattoo behind his right shoulder?"

Paige nodded. "Yeah. It's a bird or something."

Xander's eyes widened. He leaned forward slightly and said, "Now I'm saying something. You saw him naked?"

Willow tried to bring the subject back to safer territory. "So Angel's been around a while."

Dawn gave her head a little shake. "Not that long for a vampire. Two hundred and forty years or so."

Paige smiled and whispered to Xander, "Jealous? You don't have to be Xander. There is only one guy for me. And I think you know who he is."

Buffy gave a little laugh. A gallows laugh. "Two hundred and forty. Well, he said he was older."

Oblivious to Buffy's distress, Giles sat down and consulted another diary. "Angelus leaves Ireland, wreaks havoc in Europe for several decades. Then, about eighty years ago, a most curious thing happens . . ." He reached for another book. "He comes to America, shuns other vampires, and lives alone. There's no record of him hunting here."

Xander smiled and whispered to Paige, "So you decide when you want that second date?"

Paige nodded and whispered, "When this business with Angel is over with. I just to make sure Buffy is okay first."

"Okay." Xander nodded and accepted that answer as he whispered back.

Willow perked up. She said, "So he is a good vampire. I mean, on a scale of one to ten, ten being someone who's killing and maiming every night and one being someone who's . . . not . . ." She flushed at her word choices and the sad expression on Buffy's face.

"I'm sorry," Giles said. "There's no record but, vampires hunt and kill. It's what they do."

"Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly," Xander quipped, but it wasn't funny.

"He could have fed on me and Paige. He didn't," Buffy offered.

"Question," Xander went on. "The hundred years or so before he came to our shores, what was he like then?"

Giles said plainly, "Like all of them." He looked directly at Buffy, making sure she heard his words. "A vicious, violent animal."

Later Dawn and Willow were doing the tutor thing. Paige was trying to pay attention while being concerned for Buffy. And Buffy was doing the lost-in-thought thing. Call it a study date.

Call Buffy's life bipolar: death and quizzes.

Willow said slowly. "So Reconstruction began when?" She waited. "Buffy?"

Buffy stirred. "Huh? Oh. Reconstruction. Reconstruction began after ah, the construction, which was

shoddy, so they had to reconstruct—"

Willow saved her. "After thedestruction of the Civil War."

Buffy took that in. "Right. The Civil War." She began to drift away again. "During which, Angel was already like . . . a hundred and change."

Willow asked gently, "Are we going to talk about boys or are we going to help you pass history?" She waited a moment, then shut her history book and leaned toward Buffy. "Sometimes I have this fantasy that Xander's just going to grab me and kiss me right on the lips. No offense Paige."

"None taken. I just wish there were two of him so you we both could have one." Paige said.

Buffy warmed to the subject. "You want Xander, you gotta speak up, girl. No offense, Paige. But if she wants him she should fight for him."

"No offense taken." Paige said.

Willow looked utterly panicked. "No, no, no! No speaking up. That way leads to madness and sweaty palms. No to the fighting for boys, too. " Willow lowered her voice and said, "Okay, here's something I've got to know. When Angel kissed you, I mean, before he turned into . . . how was it?"

Buffy got all rosy and dreamy. She said, "Unbelievable." She laughed softly.

Dawn rolled her eyes.

Willow was impressed. "Wow. And it is kind of novel how he'll stay young and handsome forever. Although you'll still get wrinkly and die and ooo, what about the children?" She must have realized she was hurting Buffy, for she said quickly, "I'll be quiet now."

Buffy cocked her head and smiled sadly. "No, it's okay. I need to hear this. I need to get over him so I can—"

"So that you can . . . ?" Dawn mimed a staking.

Buffy shrugged. "Like Xander said, I'm a Slayer. And he's a vampire. God, I can't. He's never done anything to hurt me." She caught herself. "Okay, now. I've got to stop thinking about this."

Resolutely she opened her schoolbook. "Okay. Give me another half hour, and maybe something will

sink in. Then Dawn, Paige and I are going home. So I can get in some major moping."

"Okay. The era of congressional Reconstruction," Dawn intoned dutifully, "usually called Radical . . ."

Joyce faced mounds of paperwork at the kitchen table. She poured herself a cup of coffee and took a sip.

There was a slow, deliberate creaking somewhere in the house. She looked up. Hearing nothing more, she settled back to work on the account books for the gallery.

There it was again. It was outside. She stood, a little spooked, and went to the back door. She peered out the window and saw nothing.

Joyce continued to move through the house, growing edgier at the creaks and groans. For heaven's sake! It's just the house settling, she told herself, but she started, just a little, when someone knocked on the front door.

It was a lovely blond girl with a very sweet smile. She was carrying schoolbooks, and she was very conservatively dressed. As Joyce opened the door, she thought fleetingly that she wished Buffy dressed like this.

"Hello?" Joyce asked politely.

"Hi. I'm Darla. A friend of Paige and Buffy's?" the girl said tentatively.

"Oh." Joyce relaxed. "Nice to meet you."

A pause.

"They didn't mention anything about me coming over for a study date, did they?" Darla smiled shyly.

Joyce was a little confused, just the tiniest bit alarmed. "No," she said. "I thought they were studying with Dawn and Willow at the library."

"They are," Darla assured her. "Your little Dawn and Willow's the Civil War experts, but then I was supposed to help then with the War of Independence." Her smile became modest and genteel. "My family kind of goes back to those days."

"Well, I know they and Dawn are supposed to be home soon," Joyce said. "Would you like to come in and wait?"

Darla stepped over the threshold of the Summers home. "Very nice of you to invite me into your home," she said.

Joyce smiled, bemused. It was an odd thing to say, but kids were like that. Sometimes awkward, sometimes charming, sometimes both. She liked this girl. "You're welcome," she said as Darla came in.

She added conversationally, "I've been wrestling with the I.R.S. all night. Would you like something to eat?"

Darla said, "Yes. I would."

"Let's see what we have." Joyce led the way to the kitchen, asking over her shoulder. "Do you feel like something little or something big?"

"Something big," Darla replied, allowing her true self—her vampire self—to be revealed.

Angel walked up to the Summers front door and raised his hand to knock. He stopped himself and with a sigh and walked away. That was what he had to do.

Walk away.

He was almost past the house when someone screamed in terror. He bolted around to the back and flung open the door.

Joyce was slumped in Darla's arms. Blood flowed from twin wounds on her neck. Darla's demon mouth was covered with the woman's blood.

"Let her go."

Darla looked at him and laughed. "I just had a little. There's plenty more. Aren't you hungry for something warm after all this time?"

Angel hesitated, starting to breathe a little harder as he smelled the tantalizing odor of warm, living blood.

It was true; he was hungry for it. He was always hungry for it.

Darla spoke in a sexy, inviting voice, holding Joyce Summers like a rag doll. "Come on, Angel."

He shook his head, fighting the change, fighting the need. This was a living human being. This was Buffy's mother.

"Just say yes," Darla breathed, and heaved the unconscious woman into his arms. He struggled with his burden, fighting hard, struggling but feeling himself losing. He was weakening, too hungry, almost starving for it.

He felt his face change. He slipped easily, too easily, into vampire mode. Darla's eyes burned with delight as she said triumphantly, "Welcome home."

She moved toward the door, leaving him alone with Joyce Summers in his grip. Angel stared at the blood on her neck, the fresh, warm blood . . .

He shut his eyes, trying to control himself. He opened them, moving his head—and fangs—down toward Joyce's neck. Darla's bite was shallow. Glistening. Closer . . .

"Hey," a voice called. "We're home."

Paige, Dawn and Buffy entered from the hallway and froze.

Angel could not speak; the hunger was so fierce upon him. The hunger . . . and the shame.

Dawn reached to her concealed holster and pulled out her wand as Buffy threw Angel out through the large window in the front of the Summers house. Angel landed in a heap on the lawn.

But of course he wasn't hurt; he got to his feet and faced the sisters.

They had never hated anyone as much as they hated him in that moment. Dawn said quietly, dangerously, "You're not welcome here. You come near us and we'll kill you."

He said nothing, only looked at them with his dark, brutal eyes and his hideous face. The sisters turned their back on him and raced into the kitchen, Buffy grabbed the phone and dialed 911.

"Mom, Mom, can you hear me?" Paige asked frantically.

Buffy spoke into the receiver, "Yes. I need an ambulance at sixteen-thirty Revello Drive. Our mother . . . cut herself. She's lost a lot of blood. Please, please hurry." She hung up. "Mom?"

The back door opened. The sisters turned, half-expecting another attack from Angel. Xander and Willow filed in.

"Hey, Buffy, Paige, Dawn," Xander said, then saw their mother on the floor. "Oh, my God."

Willow gasped. "What happened?"

"Angel," Buffy, Paige and Dawn said in unison.

Giles strode down the hospital corridor and into Joyce Summer's room. She was resting, a small bandage on her neck. Buffy, Paige and Dawn stood protectively beside her bed, Willow and Xander a slight distance away.

Buffy was saying, "Do you remember anything, Mom?"

Joyce was fuzzy. "Just . . . yours and Paige's friend came over. I was going to make a snack."

Filled with guilt, Buffy echoed, "Mine and Paige's friend."

Joyce slurred as she continued, "I guess I slipped and cut my neck on . . ." She paused. "The doctor said it looked like a barbecue fork. We don'thave a barbecue fork." She inquired of Giles, "Are you another doctor?"

Paige interjected, "Mom, this is Mr. Giles."

"The librarian from your school?" the poor woman said. "What's he—?"

Giles stepped forward. "I just came to pay my respects. To wish you a speedy recovery."

Joyce took that into her sedative-filled head. "Boy, the teachers really do care in this town."

Buffy said, "Get some rest now." She looked to Dawn. "Stay with her."

Dawn nodded, "No worries." She patted her hidden wand indicating if Angel tried anything she will protect their mother.

Buffy and Paige gave their mother a kiss on the cheek and walked out of the room, their friends following them.

In the corridor, Paige and Buffy leaned wearily against the wall.

"She's going to be okay. They gave her some iron. Her blood count was a little . . ." Paige said.

Giles could see they were fighting for control. He was deeply moved by their plight. Though Buffy was the Chosen One, the champion of mankind against the powers of Darkness. And Paige was a witch who had dedicated her life to helping Buffy. They were also two sixteen-year-old girls.

"A little low," he said, giving them time to collect themselves. He wished he could do or say something to comfort them, but he must stand as the voice of reason. The only voice, if necessary. It was his duty to protect them, not to give them what they wanted.

He continued, "It presents itself like a mild anemia. You're lucky you got to her as soon as you did."

Buffy whipped her head toward him. "Lucky? Stupid," she said miserably.

"Buff, it's not your fault," Xander insisted. Giles was proud of the boy. It would have been easy for him to say, "I told you so."

"No?" Buffy looked at him with a hard, angry expression. "I invited him into our home. And even after I knew who he was—what he was—I didn't do anything about it because I had feelings for him. Because I cared about him."

"If you care about somebody," Willow offered, with a quick glance at Xander, "you care about them. You can't change that by—"

"Killing them?" Buffy demanded. "Maybe not. But it's a start. Paige."

"I'm with you, Buffy." Paige replied.

There was a silence. Xander said, "We'll keep an eye on your mom and Dawn."

Giles knew he had to speak up. He wasn't sure they could beat Angel.

"Buffy, Paige—"

Buffy looked up at him. "You can't stop me."

"Nor me," Paige added. "This has become immensely personal. He nearly drained our mother."

"The Three found me near the Bronze and so did he. He lives nearby." Buffy continued.

Giles persisted. "This is no ordinary vampire." He glanced around and lowered his voice to a whisper. "If there is such a thing. He knows the two of you. He's faced the Three. I think this is going to take more than a simple stake."

"So do I," Buffy bit off.

"As do I." Paige said.

Giles said no more. He knew their minds were made up. He was very sorry and very worried. But then, he spent most nights worrying about Paige and Buffy. What decent human being would not?

Xander leaned in and kissed Paige, "Be careful."

Paige smiled, "I will." She and Buffy walked down the corridor and into an empty hospital room. She then orbed them to the library.

In the darkened library, Buffy and Paige loaded two crossbows with three bolts each. They tested the resistance of the bows. It was a good weapon.

It would do the job.

Buffy aimed at a poster of a cute guy smoking a cigarette. The caption read: Smoking sucks. She let the bolt fly, straight into the cancer-ridden guy's heart.

Paige then repeated the processed and her bolt flew into the heart also. She was glad that Buffy had been adamant she be trained to use the weapons that she herself used.

Paige and Buffy prowled through town. They walked past a vacant lot bordered with a barbed wire fence. Then they neared the Bronze. It was deserted. A small chalkboard sign next to the entrance read, Closed for fumigation. Opening bash this Saturday.

They heard the sound of glass breaking somewhere above her. Buffy looked to Paige who nodded as she orbed inside the Bronze with Buffy.

His thoughts on Buffy, Giles sat with Dawn beside Joyce Summers's hospital bed, whose thoughts were also about her daughters. "They and Dawn talk about you all the time," she told him. "It's important to have teachers who make an impression."

Giles smiled gently and said, "They and Dawn make quite an impression themselves."

"I know Buffy and Paige are having trouble with history. Is it too difficult for them or are they not applying themselves?"

And here was the predicament of both Slayer and Watcher—continuing to live their public lives because these things must matter, or there was no point in trying so hard to be normal people. He said to her, as tactfully as possible, "Buffy and Paige lives very much in the now, and history, of course, is very much about the then. But there's no reason—"

"They're studying with Dawn and Willow. They're studying with Darla," Joyce continued as Giles looked to Dawn who shook her head. "I mean, they are trying."

"Darla?" Giles said carefully. "I don't believe I know—"

"Their friend. The one who came over tonight," Joyce filled in, not picking up on his anxiety.

"Darla came to our house tonight? She was the friend that you mentioned earlier?" Dawn asked her mother with growing concern.

"Poor thing." Joyce flashed Giles and Dawn an embarrassed smile. "I probably frightened her half to death when I fainted. Someone should really check and make sure she's all right."

"Yes. Someone should. Right away." Giles headed for the door followed closely by Dawn. "I'll do it."

As Giles and Dawn left the room, they heard Joyce murmur, "That school is amazing."

Moving quickly, they sped down the hospital corridor. Willow and Xander, who had been waiting outside Ms. Summers's room, joined them.

Giles said urgently, "We have a problem. Dawn can you do any kind of teleportation spell like Paige?"

Dawn shakes her head, "First Paige uses a power she was born with. Second there is a teleportation spell but the books I've read said you have to be seventeen and have a license. Since I'm pretty much self-taught when it comes to wand work I don't even know where to get the license when I come of age. Sorry."

Giles nodded and turned to Willow and Xander, "Mrs. Summers said that Angel was not the friend that came by. The friend was named Darla. Dawn I want you to go with Willow and Xander. You're the only one who can protect them. I will stay with your mother."

Dawn nodded, "Okay. What will you tell her?"

"That Willow and Xander were going to take you home, which they will by way of finding where Buffy and Paige are."

Paige had orbed her and Buffy up on the balcony. Crossbows in hand, they searched the balcony, then took the stairs one at a time, sweeping the area with their gaze.

As they reached the main floor of the Bronze, they thought they saw the silhouette of a man some distance away. But when they spun around and took aim, there was no one there.

Nothing there.

They continued their hunt, moving in the dark stillness. Stripped of lights, people, and noise, the Bronze was an eerie, otherworldly place.

A battleground.

They heard a crash of broken glass and aimed into the darkness again.

"We know you're there," Buffy called out, sweeping the area with the bow. "And we know what you are."

"Do you?" As they zeroed in, Angel spoke again, but this time his voice came from a different location. "I'm just an animal, right?"

"You're not an animal," Paige said. "Animals I like." She quickly shifted her weapon. Then her eyes widened as he stepped forward, very close to Buffy. He wore his vampire face.

He growled. "Let's get it done."

He leaped, moving extremely fast. It took Buffy a moment to adjust to his speed, and by then he had hit the nearby pool table. She brought the crossbow up, sighted, and fired, but the bolt flew across the club and lodged in the far wall as Angel vaulted straight up into the balcony.

Buffy reloaded the bow, as she and Paige crept around the pool table, and aimed up into the darkness. They searched for him, turning slowly. Their hearts were thundering.

He dropped down behind them, slamming his feet against Buffy's neck and sending her flying onto the pool table. Bracing herself against it, she rammed her boot into him with a roundhouse kick, knocking him backward.

While he was out of commission, Buffy scrambled off the pool table and slid onto the floor, reaching for her crossbow. She rolled onto her back. She and Paige raised up slightly, pointed the deadly weapons at Angel, and kept him in their sights.

He rose, and faced them, presenting them with the perfect shot.

He growled.

Their fingers tightened on the triggers.

Then Angel's appearance morphed from his vampire features into the handsome young man who had so attracted Buffy when they had first met and she hesitates.

Paige looked to Buffy and then to Angel and she too hesitates. Looking like a vampire it would be easy to stake him. Looking human reminds Paige that Buffy does in fact love Angel.

"Come on," he said in a hard voice. "Don't go soft on me now."

Buffy let the bolt fly. It missed him by a mile and sank into the post beside him.

Paige lowered her crossbow.

"A little wide," he observed.

They looked at each other. "Why?" she asked quietly, getting to her feet, her voice shaking with anger. "Why didn't you just attack me and Paige when you had the chance? Was it a joke? To make me feel for you and then . . ." She stopped herself for a split-second. "I've killed a lot of vampires. I've never hated one before."

"Feels good, doesn't it?" he asked, also quietly, also emotionally. "Feels simple."

"We invited you into my home," Paige said. "And then you attacked our family."

"Why not?" he asked almost offhandedly, but his expression was filled with pain. "I killed mine."

He started closing in on the sisters.

"I killed their friends. And their friends' children. For a hundred years I offered an ugly death to everyone I met. And I did it with a song in my heart."

Buffy detected the merest hint of self-loathing; she raised her chin slightly and asked, "What changed?"

"Fed on a girl," he told them. "About your age. Beautiful." He looked off into the distance for a moment.

"Dumb as a post. But a favorite among her clan."

"Her clan?" Buffy repeated, unsure of his word choice.

"Romani," Angel explained.

"Gypsies." Paige said as her sister looked to her. "According to the material I read when my powers manifested. Most witches who consider themselves Wiccan are actually descended from Gypsies. They're not natural born witches like myself. It's where Dawn's wandless magic comes from. You and Dawn If I'm correct are descended from gypsies. I think the only reason Dawn uses a wand is because it's easier than learning gypsy magic. I don't know for sure but it wouldn't surprise me Buffy if you can perform Gypsy magic yourself."

"Gypsies. The elders conjured the perfect punishment for me." Angel waited a beat. "They restored my soul."

"What," Buffy asked, regaining a bit of her fire, "they were all out of boils and blinding torment?"

"When you become a vampire, the demon takes your body but it doesn't get your soul. That's gone. No conscience, no remorse. It's an easy way to live."

He stood in the weak light, surrounded by darkness, facing an armed Slayer and her sister who was a witch. Both of whom were bent on revenge.

And yet he made no move to attack, nor to escape. Instead, he said, "You have no idea what it's like to have done the things I've done and to care. I haven't fed on a living human being since that day."

"So you started with our mom?" Paige flung at him. "Are we supposed to feel honored?"

"I didn't bite her," he said very seriously.

Buffy and Paige were taken aback. "Then why didn't you say something?" Buffy said.

"I wanted to." For a moment Buffy and Paige tried to pretend that he was answering Buffy's question. But he was confessing that he had wanted to bite their mother. As if to underscore that thought, he said, "I can walk like a man but I'm not one." He paused. "I wanted to kill you tonight. Then go after Dawn."

They knew that. They had wanted to kill him, too. Buffy and Paige looked down, laid down their weapons, and Buffy walked to him, tilting her head slightly, offering her neck.

"Go ahead," Buffy said.

Angel remained silent, gazing at Buffy with his haunted eyes. Something lifted for a brief instant as the two of them stared long and hard at each other.

Paige nodded slightly. "Not as easy as it looks," she said.

He almost smiled.

"Sure it is," came a voice from the shadows.

Xander, Willow, and Dawn raced through the night, searching for Buffy.

Willow said, "We're near the Bronze. What now?"

Dawn answered, "Keep looking for her."

"I have a question," Xander ventured, worried and frustrated. "What if we find them and their fighting Angel or some of his friends? What the heck are we going to do about it?"

No one answered.

No one had an answer.

Darla strolled toward Angel, Paige and Buffy with her hands clasped behind her back, as if she hadn't a care in the world. She drawled, "Do you know what the saddest thing in the world is?"

Buffy shrugged. "Bad hair on top of that outfit?"

"To love someone who used to love you." Darla glared at Buffy.

Buffy glanced in surprise at Angel. "You guys were . . . involved?"

"For several generations." Darla clearly enjoyed telling Buffy all this.

Buffy and Paige remembered Darla now. She was the one who had lured Xander's friend Jesse to the cemetary on their first night in Sunnydale. She led Jesse to his death. Buffy looked at where Paige and Buffy had laid their crossbows. She motioned to Paige with her eyes and Paige nodded in understanding.

"Well, when you've been around since Columbus, you're bound to pile up a few exes. You are older than him, right?" Paige said.

Buffy leaned forward, sneering at Darla. "Just between us girls, you're looking a little worn around the eyes."

Darla bared her fangs in an evil smile. "I made him," she said triumphantly, as if she knew this would be even harder for Buffy to hear. "And there was a time when we shared everything." She focused her full attention on Angel. "Wasn't there, Angelus?"

Angel said nothing. Darla's smile faded. "You had a chance to come home. To rule with me in the Master's court for a thousand years. But you threw that away because of her." She said in disbelief, "You love someone who hates us."

Buffy tried to hide her surprise. Angel loves her? Had he told Darla? How else would she know? She glanced at Angel, who looked worriedly back at her. Because he's afraid for her? Or afraid for her to know he cares about her?

"You're sick," Darla told Angel. "And you'll always be sick, and you'll always remember what it was like to watch her die." She spoke in a singsong tone very like the Master's. She turned to Buffy, saying, "You don't think I came alone, do you?"

Buffy replied, "I know I didn't. Paige!"

"Crossbow!" Paige called out as the crossbow orbed into Buffy's hands.

Darla chuckled. "Scary," she admitted. From behind her back, she brought forward two enormous revolvers and pointed them directly at Buffy.

"Scarier," she said, and began firing with both hands.

Buffy dove under the pool table. Paige orbed out and back in behind the bar. Angel took a bullet to the shoulder and slammed into the wall with the crossbow bolt stuck into it. With a grunt of pain, he slid to the floor.

"Angel!" Buffy cried.

"Oh, don't worry," Darla said easily. "Bullets can't kill vampires. They can hurt them like hell, but—"

She fired at Buffy again.

In the warehouse alley, Xander, Dawn and Willow froze.

"Did you just hear—" Xander said.

Gunshots. They all heard them.

"Paige!" Dawn said with a tone of concern. "Buffy!"

They all ran toward the Bronze.

Buffy crouched behind the pool table, listening to Darla rant as she closed in. "So many body parts, so few bullets. Let's begin with the kneecaps. No fun dancing without them . . ."

Bullets hailed in Buffy's direction. Buffy summoned her courage, popped up, and got off a crossbow shot. It slammed into Darla's chest, and Darla doubled forward. Then Darla straightened back up. She said, "Close. But no heart."

She pulled the bolt out of her chest and dropped it onto the floor.

Willow, Dawn, and Xander entered the Bronze through the broken window on the second floor and made their way to the balcony. They all looked in horror at the destruction below.

Xander whispered, "We need to distract her." He saw at the same time that Buffy did that Buffy was out of bolts. "Fast!"

"Paige! I need the other crossbow." Buffy said.

Willow shouted frantically, "Buffy, Paige, it wasn't Angel who attacked your mom. It was Darla!"

Darla whirled in their direction, raining bullets on them. They ducked.

On the main floor of the Bronze. "Crossbow!" Paige said as Buffy tossed her crossbow aside and Paige's orbed into Buffy's hands.

Angel, breathing hard through the pain, pulled the crossbow bolt out of the wall.

Buffy fired the second crossbow and this time the crossbow bolt hit its mark straight in Darla's heart. Darla staggered. The guns clattered to the floor. Then Darla exploded into a scream and dust.

Buffy looked at Angel as Paige rose from behind the counter and looked at Angel with huge eyes. He didn't know what to say to her. He wasn't sure he could speak. With the death of Darla, he had crossed many lines. He had gone too far. And he could never go back.

Slowly, he turned and walked away.

That Saturday Buffy dished up a plate of healthy vegetables and carried it to Joyce at the dining room table. While Paige and Dawn sat on either said of their mother.

"Here Mom, you gotta eat this. It's what the doctor said, to build up your iron. How are you feeling?" Buffy said.

"I'm thinking I should say not so good so you three will continue to wait on me hand and foot but I cannot tell a lie: I feel fine." Joyce replied.

"Good. We were so worried about you; I mean it actually made me feel sick." Dawn said. "If anything happened to you . . ."

Joyce nodded. "Now you know how I feel about you three every minute of every day."

"I guess we do." Paige said. "Ouch, and now I am so sorry for about a kazillion things I've put you through."

"Ditto," Buffy and Dawn said in unison.

Joyce smiled, then each of her daughters hugged her in turn.

"Now eat your vegetables." Buffy said.

"I did!" Joyce said.

"Mom . . ." Buffy, Paige and Dawn said in unison.

"I had two big bites." Joyce says.

That even Paige and Buffy felt odd returning to the Bronze. Open for business again, it was packed with people, music, and laughter. So different from the last time they had been here.

And the last time Buffy had seen Angel.

Buffy wore one of the crosses he had given her and Paige the first night they had met, even though she didn't need it. It like the Carolingian cross she still wore was a treasured possession now, proof that he wasn't like all the other vampires in her strange, scary world.

Xander said with mock enthusiasm, "Ah, the post fumigation party."

Buffy asked, "What's the difference between this and the prefumigation party?"

Xander replied, "Much heartier cockroaches."

Buffy couldn't help but look around for Angel. Willow must have noticed, for she said kindly, "No word from Angel?"

Buffy tried for a light tone. "Naw. It's weird, though. In a way I feel like he's still watching me."

Paige smiled as she said, "Well, in a way, he sort of is. In the way that he's right over there."

Buffy and Xander turned at the exact same time. Buffy composed herself and walked toward the vampire she loved.

Willow, Xander and Paige walked over to a table, and Xander deliberately chose the chair that faced away from Buffy and Angel.

"Trying not to be jealous older brother?" Paige asked.

Xander looked to Paige and smiled, "Would you like me to be?"

"I don't know." Paige said. "On one hand it's cool that you're looking out for my sister. On the other it'd be weird cause then you would like kinda be my brother. And it's like why do I like my brother that way."

Xander laughed, "When you put it that way. How about just jealous protective friend who happens to like his friend's sister."

"I could live with that." Paige said as she kissed Xander.

Angel stood alone, as always. Though she was set apart as the Slayer, Buffy knew she had so much more than he did: her friends, her Watcher, her mother, her sisters . . . and a chance, now and then, to blow off some steam. Angel had none of this. And she suspected that now that he had killed Darla, the vampire who had changed him, he would be hunted as fiercely as she was.

Thinking all these things, and of how much she loved him, Buffy came to him.

For a moment, neither spoke. Then Angel said, "I just wanted to see if you were okay. And your mother and your sisters."

"We're all good. You?"

He laughed shortly. "If I can go a little while without being shot or stabbed, I'll be all right." Then he hesitated, as if that wasn't true. "Look," he said, "this can't—"

"Ever be anything," she finished for him. "I know." And she did know. She tried to conceal her pain with a joke. "For one thing, you're like two hundred and twenty-four years older than I am."

His smile was faint, as if he appreciated her attempt to make this easy on both of them. "I just have to . . . I have to walk away from this."

Buffy said, almost in a whisper, "I know. Me, too."

They stood staring at each other. Hesitantly, she added, "One of us has to go here."

"I know."

Still neither left. Then Angel bent his head to kiss her. She kissed him back, willing warmth into his cold, soft lips, thrilling at the tenderness of his kiss. She put her arms around his neck and allowed herself this moment, even if she never saw him again.

Xander demanded, "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Willow and Paige said.

"Well, as long as they're not kissing." He laughed.

"You mean something like this?" Paige asked as she leaned in and she and Xander kissed again.

"Yeah something like that." Xander said.

Finally Buffy and Angel broke apart. She looked up at him, the cross he gave as well as her own Carolingian cross glinting at her throat.

"Are you okay?" Buffy asked.

"It's just . . ." Angel said.

"Painful, I know . . . I'll see you around." Buffy said as she turned and walked away.

There on Angel's chest were two burn marks that matched the crosses Buffy wore.


	6. Chapter 6: I Robot You Jane

**Chapter 6: I Robot You Jane**

"Oh," Buffy said. "Great. A book."

Dawn looked over from her position in front of one of the scanners and smiled when she saw the disappointed expression on her sister's face. Buffy pulled an oversized, ancient-looking book from the crate she'd just pried open and idly traced the carving on its leather cover. Jenny, the new computer teacher, had set up several computers and scanners throughout the libray.

"I haven't gone through the new arrivals," Giles told Buffy. He gestured toward where Willow and Dawn sat. "Put it in that pile –"

"Here, I got it." Dave took the book from Buffy and head back towards his terminal

"Thanks, Dave." Buffy grinned. "The Dawn and Willow pile."

"After I've examined it," Giles said absently, "one of you can, uh... skim it in."

"Scan it, Rupert. Scan it."

The door to the library closed behind Jenny and she strode in.

"Of course..." Giles said. His tone was filled with stiff British courtesy, but Dawn thought she could hear a touch of venom around the edges.

Jenny, however, was not put off "I know our ways are strange to you," she said as she regarded Giles with patient amusement, "but soon you will join us in the 20th century... with three whole years to spare!"

"Ms. Calendar," Giles said archly, "I happen to believe that one can function in modern society without being a slave to the idiot box."

Paige rolled her eyes, "That's TV. The idiot box is the TV."

Dawn nodded as she pats the computer in front of her, "This is a good box."

"Well," Giles said, undaunted. "I still prefer a good book."

"The printed page is obsolete," Fritz put in. "Information isn't bound up anymore, it's an entity. The only reality is virtual. If you're not jacked in, you're not alive." With that, he nodded to himself and flicked the off switch on his computer. A moment later the door to the library closed behind him.

They all stared after him, then Jenny sighed. "Thank you, Fritz... for making us all sound like crazy people." She turned back to Giles. "Fritz comes on a little strong, but he has a point. You know for the last two years there was more E-mail sent than regular mail? More digitalized information went over phone lines than conversations."

Giles folded his arms and his chin lifted. "That is a fact that I regard with genuine horror."

"I'll bet it is," Jenny replied. She faced Dawn, Willow and the others. "All right, guys, let's wrap it up for the day."

Dawn and Willow glanced at the stack of waiting books, then back at their terminal.

"I've just got a few more to do, "Willow told Jenny. "I'll hang around for a bit."

"Ditto," Dawn said.

"Cool," Jenny said with a smile. "Thanks."

"Xander," Willow said before her friend could head after the others, "you want to stay and help me and Dawn?" Willow asks.

Xander paused, but only for a moment. "Are you kidding?"

"Yes," Willow said gently. "It was a joke I made up."

Xander nodded in relief. "Willow, I love you, but bye." He turned to Paige and gave her a quick passionate kiss before heading out.

Paige looked to Buffy, "Go on, I'll stay with Dawn and take her home once she's done."

Buffy nodded as she turns and heads out also.

"I have to stay and clean up," Giles said stiffly. "I'll be back in the Middle Ages."

"Did you ever leave?" Jenny said, sarcastically.

Paige walked over to a bookshelf and started looking at the books. "Dawnie let me know when you're ready to head out."

"Okay." Dawn said as she took the book that Buffy had uncrated.

Dawn opened it to the first page, grateful to find that even though it was weighty, the pages were thick and not numerous. After naming the file DAWN/BOOK12, she carefully drew the scanner down the first page, keeping her eyes on the screen to make sure the image didn't blur or distort. While she couldn't understand the strange characters and foreign words, the information seemed to be transferring cleanly and rapidly.

Turned slightly to the right and with her gaze focused on the screen, Dawn never noticed the pages of the book as she completed and turned each one, never saw the way the ancient words and symbols appeared to slip off the heavy parchment as the scanner passed over them. With the last of the book's content entered the screen, Dawn saved the file without looking back at the book, then glanced at Willow who was just finishing her last book as well.

On the computer, the screen suddenly went blank. After a beat, three words appeared, one letter at a time, across the center:

_Where am I?_

Dawn hit the OFF button automatically. She gathered up her books as Willow did the same on the other side of the table. "Done, Paige."

Paige nodded and walked over to Dawn, "Can I give you a lift Willow?"

Willow smiled, "No thanks Paige. But orbing always seems to make me queasy afterwords.

"It did that to me and Buffy the first few times. You'll get used to it." Dawn said.

"Till then I think I will just walk home. Thanks though." Willow replied and headed out of the library.

Paige grabbed her sister's hand and they orbed out.

A week later Dawn walk along, happily lost in thought.

"Dawn – Dawnie! Hey, wait up!"

Buffy's voice cut through the din just as she caught up with her sister. "Buffy! I didn't even see you."

Buffy squinted at her. "Or hear me. You've been in your room a lot as of late. What happened?"

"Oh, I was..." Dawn hesitated. "I was talking," she finally finished.

"Talking to..." Buffy looked at her baby sister, concerned as Dawn smiled. "Okay, that's it. You have a secret and that is not allowed."

"Why not?"

"'Cause... there's a rule." Buffy's voice had taken on a petulant why-aren't-you-sharing-with-me? tone. "You, me and Paige share everything, remember?"

"Well," Dawn amended, "I sort of met someone."

"I knew it!" Buffy's face lit up with excitement." This is so important, your first boyfriend. When did you meet?" Buffy asks.

"Last week." Dawn told Buffy as Paige walked up to them. "The day after we did the scanning project in the Library."

"What's up?" Paige asked.

Buffy looked to her older sister and smiled, "Dawnie has a boyfriend."

Paige looked at Dawn and smiled, "Does he go here? What's his name? Have you kissed him? What's he like?"

Dawn's mouth turned up with amusement. "No, Malcolm, no, and very nice," she said answering everything in one shot.

Bufy flounced forward, but her excitement was still obvious. "You are a thing of evil for not telling us this right away."

"Well," Dawn admitted. "I wasn't sure there was anything to tell. But last night - oh, we talked all night. It was amazing. He's so smart, Paige, Buffy, and he's romantic and we agree about everything."

Paige frowned, "You talked all night, on the phone?"

Dawn shook her head, "Online."

"What's he look like?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know." Dawn answered cheerfully.

Buffy and Paige followed Dawn from the hallway and into the computer.

"You've been seeing a guy and you don't know what he looks like." Buffy blinked.

Willow looked up at the sisters, "Dawn met someone?"

Paige nodded, "Online."

"Morning, kids." Dawn, Buffy, Paige and Willow looked up as Jenny came into the lab. "Paige, Buffy, are you supposed to be somewhere?"

"We have a free period." Paige replied.

"Cool. But this is lab time so let's make it a nice short visit, okay?"

Buffy nodded. "Oh sure."

Dawn quickly ran through her log-on procedure as Buffy and Paige perched on chairs on either side of Dawn and Willow. The instant it made the connection, the computer flashed a message.

_"You have mail!"_

"It's him..." Dawn said excitedly as she opened the message.

_"I'm thinking about you."_

"He's so sweet." Willow said as Dawn nodded in agreement.

Beside them, Buffy and Paige seemed less than impressed. "Uh, yeah, he's a sweetie." Paige said.

"What should I write back?" Dawn asked. Her fingers were posed over the keyboard as she tried to think.

Buffy cleared her throat pointedly. "Uh, Dawn... I think it's great that you've got a cool pen pal, but... you seem to be kind of rushing all into this. You know what I mean?"

"I'm thinking of you too," Dawn blurted, talking as she typed. She almost hit the ENTER key, then gasped. "No – that's incredibly stupid." Dawn says having not heard a word Buffy said.

"Dawnie," Paige interrupted. "Down girl. Let's focus. What do you really know about this guy?"

Willow looked at the sisters and shook her head. It's cute they are looking out for their baby sister but she thinks their being a tad bit overprotective.

Dawn sat back sullenly. "See, I knew you'd react like this."

"Like what?" Buffy demanded. "Paige and I just think you should be, well, careful."

"Buffy, Paige –" Dawn said.

"He could be different than you think." Paige said.

"His name is Malcolm Black," Dawn said with exaggerated care. "He's sixteen, he lives in Elmwood which is like eighty miles from here and he likes me."

"Short, tall, skinny, fat..." Buffy looked at Dawn expectantly.

"Why does everything have to be about looks?" Willow demanded.

Buffy and Paige look to their best friend.

"Not everything," Paige acknowledged. "But some stuff is. What if Dawn and this Malcom guy get really intense and then they find out he... has a hairy back?"

Dawn's widened as she considered this, then her jaw set. "Well... no. He doesn't talk like the kind of person who has a hairy back. And anyway that stuff doesn't matter if you really care about each other." She looked down at her hands. "Maybe I'm not his ideal either."

Buffy and Paige looked at each other.

"Hey," Buffy said. She put an understanding hand on Dawn's arm. "You're our baby sister, Paige and I just want to make sure he's good enough for you, that's all. I think it's great that you're –" Buffy says.

"Hey." Willow, Dawn, Paige and Buffy jumped as Fritz appeared on the otherside of the cubicle divider without warning. "Are you done?"

"What?" Paige said as she and Buffy stared at him.

"I'm trying to _work_."

"Okay," Buffy and Paige said a little testily. "Sorry..."

Fritz sank back onto his chair with enough noise to let the girls know he was annoyed.

Buffy and Paige glanced at Willow and Dawn, then over to where Jenny sat at her own terminal, thankfully not noticing their exchange. "Boy, Fritz is even more charming than usual." Buffy said.

Willow frowned a little. "I don't know what his problem is lately."

Buffy and Paige stood. They all knew it was time for them to make tracks before Jenny realized they were still hanging around. "He needs to get out more," Paige said. "Or ever."

"Oh boy," Dawn thought the next day, more than a little panicked. "I can't believe how late I am." She barreled up to her locker in the locker room, nearly colliding with her sisters as they shrugged into their gym clothes.

"Whoa," Buffy said. "You're the late girl."

"I stayed after in my last class." Dawn said shortly.

"Talking to Malcolm?" Paige asked.

"Yeah," When Buffy and Paige didn't respond, Dawn glanced at her sisters. "What."

"Nothing." Paige and Buffy said.

"You're having an expression." Dawn remarked.

"We're not." Buffy hesitated. "But if we were, it would be saying... It's just not like you."

"Not like me to have a boyfriend?" Dawn asked.

Paige and Buffy looked at each other their eyes widening momentarily. "He's... boyfriendly?" Paige asked.

"I don't understand why you two don't want me to have this." Dawn tried to keep the frustration out of her voice, but she wasn't succeeding. "I mean, boys don't chase me around all the time-I thought you'd be happy for me."

Buffy and Paige took a step towards Dawn as Buffy spoke. "Paige and I just want you to be sure. To meet him face to face-in a crowded place - in daylight – with some friends. You know, before you get all obsessive."

Dawn scowled. "Malcolm and I really care about each other. Big deal if I'm a little late."

Paige sighed, "Dawnie we just care about you okay. You are our baby sister. We're just worried you might be going too fast into this thing with Malcom."

"Malcolm said you both wouldn't understand." Dawn said.

"Malcolm was right." Buffy looked to Paige and then left the locker room.

Paige sighed, "We're just worried Dawn. Can you blame us for being worried for you?"

Dawn sighed, "I guess not. What kind of big sisters would you be if you weren't worried."

Later that afternoon Buffy and Poke their heads through the door to the computer lab and spied Dave typing enthusaiasstically at one of the consoles.

"Hi, Dave." Paige and Buffy said when they reached him.

There was no response, and Buffy and Paige glance from him to the screen. So they tried again. "Hi there, Dave."

Still no response. Obviously this boy needed human contact. "Anybody home?" Paige asked amiably and touched him on the shoulder.

He jumped and twisted on his chair. When he saw the sisters, his expression seemed to tense up. Even more as he folded his hands in his lap, then he relaxed. "Oh. What do you want?"

"We wanted to ask you something," Buffy said. "If you had a minute..."

Dave blinked, as if he were trying to gather his thoughts. "A minute. Okay. Yeah, a minute... What is it?"

"Well," Paige snagged the chair from the next console. She pulled it over as Buffy snagged another from yet another console. They persched themselves on the edge. "You're a computer genius... We sort of have a technical problem. If we wanted to find out something about someone, if someone E-mailed us, could we trace the letter?"

Buffy and Paige would normally have gone to Dawn or even Willow for this. But it was the emails from Malcom they were worried about so they couldn't go to Dawn. And Willow had been super supportive of Dawn since she had learned that her friend had been talking to the guy online, so she was out as well.

Dave shrugged and pushed away the thick lock of hair that had fallen into his eyes. "Well," he told them, "you can pull up someone's profile based on their user name." Dave said.

Buffy and Paige considered this. "But they write the profile themselves, right? So they could say anything they want." Buffy said.

"Sure."

"Wow," Buffy said looking to her sister as Paige rolled her eyes. "I had knowledge."

Dave smiled

"Well, is there a way to find out exactly where a letter – an E-letter – came from? I mean the actual location of the computer?" Paige asked.

Dave looked thoughtful. "It's a challenge..."

Buffy felt obliged to explain. "'Cause our baby sister, Dawn, got this friend Malcolm," she said, "and to tell you the truth, we –"

"Leave Dawn alone," Dave said. His voice was suddenly cold, his face white.

"What do you mean?" Paige asked as she and Buffy sat back.

"That's none of your business." Dave turned his back abruptly.

Buffy and Paige stood and pushed the chairs they'd borrowed back to their place "Dave," Buffy asked slowly, "are you… Malcolm?"

"Of course not. I have to get back to work."

Dave brought his fingers to the keyboard, but before he could started typing again Paige snagged one of his hands in hers. "Your hands..."

"It's nothing," he said and yanked away from her. "I'm typing a lot."

"What's going on?" Buffy demanded.

"Look," he said. "I'll talk to you both later. I've got work to do."

Paige looked to her sister, "So do we."

Buffy and Paige found Giles in the library and filled him in on what they knew so far. "We're telling you, there's something going on," Buffy finished. "It's not just Dawn. Dave, Fritz – they're all wicked jumpy."

Giles didn't seem convinced. "Well, those boys aren't sparklingly normal as it is."

"Giles, _trust_ us." Paige said.

"I do." Giles paused. "But I don't really know how to advise you. Things involving the computer fill me with a childlike terror. Now if it were a nice Ogre or some such I'd be more in my element."

"And one of our resident computer experts is too wrapped up in her new cyber-beau to help out. And our other computer expert is supportive of the other. We gotta figure this out." Buffy said.

"Well, I suppose you could "tail" Dave, see if he's up to something." Giles said.

Buffy and Paige looked at Giles in amazement. "_Follow_ Dave? What, in a trench coat and dark glasses? Please. We can work this out ourselves." Buffy stopped for a second thinking. "Dawn's been acting weird since we scanned those books. Fritz has been acting weird since birth... I don't know. We've got all the pieces but no puzzle. Or, we've got puzzle pieces but some of them are missing. Or they're in the wrong place in the puzzle... I hate metaphors. Paige and I are gonna follow Dave."

Buffy and Paige watched Dave from the door as he went to his car. Paige glanced over at her sister and shook her head. Buffy had to take her own suggestion seriously as she was now dressed in a trench coat and sunglasses.

Paige shook her head staring at Buffy. "Could you be anymore conspicuous?"

Dave drove off as Buffy and Paige walked to a secluded spot away and out of sight of the departing students. Then Paige and Buffy orbed out.

Orbing in and out Buffy and Paige were able to keep track of where Dave went without being spotted by him and when he parked in a spot at the side of a large, blocky building surrounded by a high fence, Buffy and Paige slipped unnoticed into an alcove next to the driveway entrance.

Hanging on the gate was a sign that spelled out CRD in large letters. Beyond the fence a half dozen eerily silent workmen were using dollies and a forklift to haul boxes into the building. When Dave joined them, an expressionless man in a scientist-type coast greet him, they they went inside. Buffy and Paige waited awhile, but no one came out they felt there were too many people around to actually follow Dave into the building.

With little else to go on, Paige and Buffy headed for a secluded spot and orbed out.

The next day at the library Paige and Buffy are telling Giles and Xander what they had seen.

"Whatever Dave is into," Buffy said, "it's large."

Giles looked at the sisters with interest. "What was the name of the place?"

"Said CRD. I couldn't orb closer without risking exposure to see what it was –" Paige said.

"Calax Research and Development," Xander cut in. "Computer research lab. Third biggest employer in Sunnydale, till it closed last year." When he saw Buffy, Paige and Giles gawking at him, he managed to look righteously offended. "What, I can't have information sometimes?"

"It's just somewhat… unprecedented." Giles said, flustered.

"Well, my uncle used to work there," Xander admitted. "In a floor-sweeping capacity."

Buffy looked thoughtful. "But it closed."

Xander nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Looked pretty functional from where Buffy and I stood." Paige crossed her arms. "We don't have a clue what they were doing, though."

"And what do they need Dave for?" Xander wondered.

"Something about computers, right?" Buffy suggested. "I mean he is off-the-charts-smart."

Giles shoved his hands into his pockets. "We still don't know a terrible lot. Whatever's going on there could be on the up and up."

Xander shook his head. "If CRD re-opened it'd be in the news."

Buffy lifted her chin. "Besides, I can just tell something's wrong. My spider-sense is tingling."

"Your 'spider-sense'?" Giles asked, puzzled.

"Pop-culture reference." Paige said by way of explination.

"Sorry." Buffy added.

Giles looked from Xander, to Buffy, to Paige and back again. "Yes, well, I think we're at a standstill. Short of breaking into the place, I don't see –"

"Breaking in," Buffy said brightly. "This then is the plan."

"I'm free tonight." Xander offered.

Paige nodded, "Tonight it is. I'll orb the three of us in."

"A moment, please, of quiet reflection," Giles scolded. "I did _not_ suggest that you illegally enter the –" He looked over Buffy and Paige's shoulders and suddenly his tone changed. "—data into the file and then the book will be listed by title as well as author."

Buffy, Paige and Xander turned and found Jenny joining them. "Hi," she said.

"Hello." Giles said, standing ramrod straight.

Jenny smiled at Giles, "I was gonna check your new database, make sure your cross reference table isn't glitching. 'Cause I'm guessing you haven't gone near it."

Giles looked pained. "I'm still sorting through the _chaos_ you left behind."

Jenny smiled thinly, then glanced at Buffy, Paige and Xander. "You three here again? You kids really dig on the library, don't you?"

"We're literary," Buffy said spritely.

"To read is makes our speaking English good." Xander added.

Paige nearly groaned. She snagged her sister and Xander's arms and pulled them toward the door. "We'll be going now."

"Yes," Giles said. His voice held a sharp edge. "We'll continue our conversation another time."

Buffy gave him a cheerful smile. "I think we're done." Before Giles could comment further, Paige had hauled Xander and Buffy out into the hallway. "'Our speaking English good?'" she demanded.

Xander had the grace to look ashamed. "I panicked, okay?"

At the same moment in the computer lab Willow sat next to Dawn who is chatting online with Malcom.

_I've never felt this way about anyone before, Dawn._

Dawn's smile widened—she couldn't help it. "I know what you mean," she said, echoing the words aloud as she typed the return message to Malcom. "I feel like you know me better than anyone."

_I do._

Dawn looked to Willow who nodded encouragement. She took a deep breath. "Do you think we should..." She hesitated and looked at Willow again, then went for it. "…meet?" She hit the Enter button before she could change her mind.

_I think we should. Soon._

Dawn swalled and let her fingers type out the truth. "I'm nervous."

_I'm not. Isn't that strange?_

That's what my sisters don't understand," Dawn told Malcom in her reply. "How comfortable you can make me feel."

_Buffy and Paige just makes trouble. That's why they got kicked out of their old school. And why you were forced to move with them to Sunnydale._

Dawn froze, unsettled as she looked at Willow.

"How did he know that?" Willow asked. "Did you tell him?"

Dawn shook her head as she typed, "How did you know that?"

_It's on their permanent records._

Dawn looked at Willow again as she tried to digest this. Why would Malcom have access to their files. And why would he want to, anyway?

_You must have mentioned it._

"I didn't." Dawn said to Willow. "I would never betray Buffy and Paige's trust like that." She looked back at the computer screen and typed. "I guess."

_Let's not worry about them anymore._

Dawn hesitated, then decided things were just a little too freaky right now to continue. "I have to sign off," she typed decisively. "I'll talk to you later."

_Don't._

But Dawn's mind was made up. "Bye." She sent it and turned off the computer before Malcom could try to dissuade her. She looked to Willow with concern. "How did he know the reason we moved here?"

Later in the quad a school… "But, I _checked_ the computer!" Buffy and Paige heard one of the school nurses tell a teacher as they walked past the two outside the building. "And there's _nothing_ in his file about being allergic to penicillin."

Before Buffy and Paige could think further about what they'd heard, someone touched Buffy's arm. Turning, they saw Dave waiting to talk to them. "Paige, Buffy."

He seemed even more nervouse than usual about being around real humans, soe they felt compelled to be forgiving about his earlier weird-out. "Dave. How're you doing?" Buffy asked.

"Okay." Despite his words, he wouldn't their eyes. Insteadl, he looked over their shoulders, at the sky, at the ground. Anywhere but at their faces. "I'm… sorry about yesterday. I haven't been sleeping much."

Paige smiled, "Don't sweat it."

He scuffed at the ground with one shoe. "Uh, Dawn was looking for the both of you."

Buffy and Paige brightened. "Oh, good, we were just getting ready to head home. Do you know where she is?" Buffy asked.

He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "She said she would be in the girl's locker room."

"Great," Paige said. "Thanks," And they headed away.

Moments later Buffy and Paige enter the girls' locker room.

"Dawnie?" Paige and Buffy said.

They moved through the totally empty locker room until they came to the end of the row. No one was around and certainly not Dawn. They were about leave when they heard one of the showers start up, the sound of the water echoing off the walls.

"Dawnie?" Paige called. "Dawnie, tou taking a shower?"

They angled their heads around the corner, but the shower area was empty. Buffy looked back at Paige and shook her head, "Guess not. This," she said as she stepped into the rapidly spreading puddle of water to turn off the faucet, "is how droughts are started."

Paige suddenly noticed a cord dangling from a gutted light fixture high on the wall, the bare-ended wires lying on the floor. "Buffy!" Paige calls out telekinetically orbing her sister away from the shower.

"What was that for?" Buffy asked as she orbed back in next to Paige..

Paige showed Buffy the wires. "Someone laid a trap and was going to try and electrocute us."

"Good thing you can orb people. I may have been able to survive the jolt because of being the Slayer. But it wouldn't have been fun." Buffy said.

Moments later Buffy and Paige are in the library explaining what had happened. Giles is looking at the sisters with concern.

"I'm gonna kill Dave," Xander said. He strode across the floor in front of Paige and Buffy, so upset he was practically waving his arms.

"I just don't understand what would make Dave do a thing like that." Buffy said.

Giles cleared his throat. "I think perhaps I do."

Xander stopped his nervous motion. "Care to share?"

Giles pressed his lips together, then lifted an oversized book from one of the tables. "Does this look familiar to any of you?"

Buffy squinted at the book. "Yeah, sure. It looks like a book."

Xander nodded. "I knew that one."

"Well," Giles told them, "this particular book was sent to me by an archeologist friend who found it in an old monastery."

Xander hid a fake yawn. "Wow, that's really boring."

"And that's what I love about you Xander. That you can find stuff boring without trying." Paige said.

Xander smiled, "It's a gift."

Giles glared at Xander, "There are certain books that are not meant to be read. Ever. They have things… _trapped_ within them."

"Things." Buffy echoed.

Giles looked at the floor, "Demons."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Here we go."

Giles took a deep breath. "In the Dark Ages Demons' souls were sometimes trapped in certain volumes. The demon would remain in the book, harmless, unless the book was read aloud." He pointed to a carved image on the cover.

"If I'm not mistaken," Giles continued, "this is Moloch, the corruptor. A very deadly and seductive demon. He draws people to him with promises of love, power, knowledge. Preys on impressionable minds."

"Like Dave's." Paige said.

Giles nodded, "Dave, and who knows how many others."

Buffy leaned forward. "And Moloch is in that book?"

In reply, Giles flipped it opened, showing them its black pages. "Not anymore."

Xander's jaw dropped. "You released Moloch!?"

"Way to go." Buffy and Paige groaned.

"I didn't read it," Giles said testily. "That awful Calendar woman found it and it was already blank."

"So a powerful demon with horns is walking around Sunnydale? And nobody's noticing?" Buffy asked.

"If he's so big and strong," Xander demanded, "why bother with Dave? Why didn't he just attack Buffy or Paige himself?"

Giles dropped the blank book on the table. "I don't know. And I don't know who could have read the book. It wasn't even in English."

"Where was it?" Paige asked.

Giles gestured toward the table with the computers on it. "In a pile, with the other books that were..." He paused and his eyes went suddenly wide. "Scanned."

The foursome stares at each other, then they all turned toward the computers, sitting silent and apparently harmless a few feet away.

"Willow and Dawn scanned all the new books." Buffy said quietly.

"And that released the demon." Xander added.

"No," Paige said thoughtfully. "He's not out here." She pointed at the computers. "He's in there."

Giles took a few steps toward the machine, then stopped at what he must have thought was a safe distance. "The scanner read the book," he said slowly. "And brought Moloch out… as information to be absorbed."

Buffy nodded, "He's gone binary on us."

Xander held up a hand. "Okay, for those of us in our studio audience who are me, you guys are saying that Moloch is in this computer."

Paige looked at him. "And in every computer connected to it by a modem."

"He's everywhere." Giles said, clearly appalled.

Dismay spread across Xander's face. "What do we do?"

Buffy looked at Giles. "Put him back in the book?"

Giles seemed more than slightly lost. "Willow or Dawn scanned him into their files. This may be a futile gesture, but I suggest we delete it."

Paige nodded, "I got Willow. Buffy…"

"I got Dawn." Buffy said as she and Paige moved towards the computers.

"Don't get too close." Xander said nervously.

"Okay, so which file do you think it is?" Buffy wondered aloud. She regarded the icons on the program screen. "Dawn," she decided. "That's probably it, right? I'll… just delete the whole thing."

"I'll do the same thing with Willow." Paige said. "They will have to re-scan the books we're deleting but that's better than leaving Moloch lose." She moved and deleted Willow's file, nothing overtly happens. She gets up and moves around the table to the other computer.

On Dawn's computer Buffy positioned the cursor over the Dawn file icon and dragged it to the Trash. Then she nearly jumped out of her seat as the computer's program screen abruptly flashed to black, then re-formed into a digitized image of Moloch the Corruptor himself. The image turned and grew until it filled every inch of the monitor, and suddenly a voice—hateful and loud—roared from the computer's tiny speakers.

_Stay away from Dawn!_

_It's none of your business._

And without Buffy touching it, the entire computer shut down.

For a long moment, none of them moved.

"'Stay away.'" Buffy paused. "That's just what Dave said when Paige and I asked about Dawn and..." She looked at her sister, Giles and Xander. "Malcolm."

Xander's face went rigid. "What are you thinking?"

Buffy looked at her sister, "I'm wishing our sister's new boyfriend was just an axe-murdering circus freak."

"Talking about Malcom?" Willow asked as she walked through the library doors.

Paige nodded, "He's a demon that Dawn accidentally let lose onto the internet when you two were scanning books."

"Then that explains how he knew about you guys being expelled from your old school. If he's on the internet he very well could have got into the school's computer and pulled them up." Willow said.

"Okay," Buffy said in disgust. "So much for 'delete file'."

"He has seen our transcripts?" Paige asked Willow.

Giles expression had grown darker by the minute, "This is very bad."

Willow nodded, "He mentioned to Dawn about you two being kicked out. Dawn said she never told him. So that leaves how did he know?"

Xander still seemed only slightly convinced there was a true problem. "Are we over-reacting?" he asked. "This guy's in a computer, what can he do?"

"Where is Dawn?" Paige asked.

Buffy shot Xander an I-don't-believe-you-don't-get-it lock. "You mean besides convince a perfectly nice kid to try and kill me and Paige? I don't know—mess up all the medical equipment in the world?"

"She said she was going home." Willow said.

"Randomize traffic signals..." Giles offered.

"Access launch codes for our nuclear missiles..." Paige suggested.

"Destroy the world's economy..." added Willow.

Buffy looked at Willow. "I think I pretty much capped it with the nuclear missile thing."

Willow smiled, "Just trying to be helpful."

Xander threw up his hands. "Okay, he's a threat. I'm on board with that now. What do we do?"

Buffy tapped her fingers against the tabletop. "The first thing we do is find Dawnie," she decided. "She's probably talking to him right now. God, that creeps me out."

Paige scowled. "What does he want with Dawn?"

The four of them looked at one another, but if Giles knew the answer, he wasn't inclined to share. "Let's never find out." Buffy finally said. "Paige."

Paige nodded and moved to the phone.

"Willow you're sure she went home?" Buffy asked.

"Not one hundred percent sure. She said she was going home though. I guess she could still be in the computer lab. She was gathering her stuff up when I left." Willow said.

"Okay just to be on the safe side I will go check the computer lab." Buffy said.

The computer lab was a spacious, bright room, and Buffy was used to seeing it well-lit and seldom with fewer than two or three people in it. The dark room stretching in front of her now slowed her steps and made her cautious, but nothing was going to stop her from hunting for her baby sister.

But the cubicle where Dawn usually worked was empty—as was every other one. Before Buffy could ponder this, howere, there was the electrical hum of equipment, then all the monitors flickered to life at once. Then they just… _sat_ there, as if they were staring at her and waiting for something. Or someone.

"Dawnie?"

Suddenly the notion of going on to the door at the far end, past the line of silently watching computers, was too creepy. Turning, she checked behind her, as though she were inching away from a dog that was about to bite. She took a couple of steps, then another one, and another one—

Something bumped into her.

Buffy whirled, ready to fight. But instead of striking, on tight fist came up to her mouth and she bit her knuckle in distress. Dave hung from a rope fixed to the ceiling, his corpse rocking from side to side, the rope creaking softly in the stillness.

"Dave..." Hesitantly Buffy reaching out and stopped the sway of the body so she could read the note taped to his chest.

She didn't believe a word of it.

Buffy got back to the library in time to see Paige hang up the telephone. "No answer," she told Giles, Xander and Willow.

"Damn." Giles said.

"Well, it's not busy either, so she's not online." Then Paige realized Buffy was there. "She's not home."

Giles looked at Buffy and frowned at her clouded expression. "What did you find?"

Willow's face suddenly drained of color. "Dawn isn't –"

"Dave," Buffy said shortly. "He's dead."

"My God," Giles breathed.

Xander sat abruptly. "This is really real, huh."

Paige stepped towards her sister. "How–?"

"Well, it _looked_ like suicide." Buffy folded her arms.

"With a little help from my friends?" Xander added sarcastically.

Buffy nodded. "I'd guess Fritz. Or one of the zomboids from CRD."

Willow was looking more upset by the second. "Horrible."

Paige had to nod in agreement.

Buffy gestured to Paige. "Paige and I are going to our house. Xander, Willow go on home. I want you two waiting by your phones in case Dawn tries to call either of you. Mom's out of town doing something for the Gallery so if she can't reach me or Paige. You two and Giles are the next likely choices." Xander and Willow nod as they head for the door. She turned to face Giles. "Giles, you have to find a way to get Moloch out of the net."

But Giles looked utterly bewildered. "I have records of the ceremonies but that's for dealing with a creature of flesh. This could be completely different—"

"Then get Ms. Calendar," Paige said. "Maybe she can help you."

Giles mouth worked but for a moment nothing came out. "Even if she could," he finally managed, "how am I going to convince her there's a demon on the internet?"

"Okay, fine," Buffy said a little too flippantly, "stay here and come up with a better plan." Buffy then turned to her sister holding out her hand. "Paige."

It'd been a long day, and the last of that conversation with Malcom was weighing heavily on Dawn's thoughts. She let herself in the front door of the Summers' home and carefully shut the door behind her. "Buffy?" she called. "Paige?"

No one home.

Dawn climbed the stairs to her room, knowing she needed time to think things through and decide what, if anything, to do. She dropped her book bag on the bed and started to go through it, then jumped when her computer blipped and suddenly announced: _You have mail!_

Was it Malcom? There was only one way to find out and a few keystrokes gave her the answer.

_No more waiting. I need you to see me._

Malcom's words blinked at her on the screen, vaguely threatening. Dawn stared at them, unsure of what to do. Then, in one decisive move, she turned off the computer monitor and went back to emptying her book bag.

_You have mail!_

She spun with a gasp and saw the monitor was on again—how had _that_ happened? Freaked, Dawn moved hesitantly toward the computer. What would he say now? How—

The doorbell rang.

_Saved by the bell_, Dawn thought. She glanced at the computer one more time, then scurried down the stairs to see who was there. "Buffy, did you forget your keys?"

But there was no one there. Then Dawn thought for a second if it were Buffy she would just have Paige orb her inside. She makes sure she is firmly planted inside the house in case a vampire was lurking waiting for her to step outside. She turned to close the door.

Something moved behind her, then a hand holding a chloroform-soaked rag clamped roughly over Dawn's mouth. She struggled but it was no use as her consciousness began to fade immediately and she slumped into oblivion as her kidnapper dragged her away.

Moments later Buffy and Paige orb into the foyer noticing the front door was standing wide open.

Paige frowned. "That isn't good."

"Dawnie!" Buffy yelled. Without waiting, she and Paige hurried up the stairs, beelining for their little sister's room. "Dawn?"

"Okay," Paige said with growing concern for her baby sister when they realized the room was empty. "Any thoughts?"

Buffy's gaze stopped on the computer and the message that had come up, obviously from Malcom.

_No more waiting. I need you to see me._

"See him how?" Buffy asked. "And where?"

Paige raised an eyebrow. "How about CRD?"

"The research place?" Buffy said.

Paige nodded, "I'm guessing that's Moloch central."

"I suppose it's our best lead." Buffy glanced at the screen with a frown. "Let's just hope Giles can back us up."

Paige orbed them out and to the gate outside of CRD. Buffy went over to a nearby phone and dialed.

"Buffy?" Giles said on the other end of the phone.

"Yeah." Buffy said in response..

Giles next question was another single word. "Dawn?"

"Not at home," Buffy told him, as Paige glanced cautiously around them. "It looks like she was taken somewhere."

"Where are you?" Giles asked.

"CRD," Buffy answered. "Whatever Moloch wants Dawn for, it's probably in there."

"Ms. Calendar and I are working on getting Moloch offline."

Buffy could hear the anxiety in Giles's voice, but she had to urge him on. "Here's a tip," she told him. "_Hurry_. Can you call Willow and Xander real quick and let them know what's up. And let them know I will call them when it's over." Without waiting for a reply, she hung up and moved over to Paige who grabbed her hand.

Dawn came to lying on a steel gurney, a feeling far too close to what she imagine waking on a morgue cart might be. One long moment—_too_ long—and she sat up quickly. She was in a lab of some sort, but much darker than the facilities at school and deeper in shadow. Everything she saw was made of high tech metal or plastic. As sher gaze swung around, Dawn finally pinpointed the door, a lighter rectangle amid the gloom.

But before she could stand and run for it, figures filled the entryway.

_Welcome. My love._

Dawn shook her head and tried to clear it. The voice—it was familiar, but not. She found her footing and turned slowly, still trying to get her bearings. Glowing in the darkness at the other end of the room was a computer terminal, and Dawn finally realizaed who she was hearing.

_I can't tell how good it is to finally see you—_

Then to Dawn's horror, a heavy, metal hand lowered into view and rested on top of the monitor.

She didn't want to, but she had to lift her head until she saw the rest of the package attached to. The voice, Dawn realized, hadn't come from the computer at all. Rather, it had come from this… _thing_ stepping out of the darkness and coming toward her, a huge, horned demon, hideous to look at and made entirely of gleaming metal. A robot, complete with malevolently glowing red eyes.

_—With my own two eyes._

Dawn stared upward. "Finally see me? Malcolm...?" She reached for her wand in its hidden holster only to find it missing.

"Looking for this?" Fritz asked holding up Dawn's wand.

Dawn tried instinctively to step back and away from the monstrosity that began slowly walking toward her. Immediately she found herself flanked by Fritz and a scientist. Moloch's digitized voice boomed through the room.

_This world is so new, so exciting. And I can see all of it. Everything flows through me. I know the secrets of your kings._

The computerized demon paused and looked down at his hands, turning them over as he contemplated the way they worked.

_But none of it compares to having form again. To be able to walk. To touch._

The Malcolm monster stepped in front of Dawn, then reached to the side with one huge hand and placed it ever so gently on Fritz's head. The young man smiled rapturously at the touch—

—and Malcolm suddenly whipped Fritz's head around, instantly snapping his neck.

_To kill._

The demon started to turn back toward her, then paused and cocked its massive head. Something white—a tiny light—blinked in the mass of wires and metal pieces within its horns, as though it were receiving a message from somewhere.

_Ah. Here they come._

Dawn was afraid to ask. She edged backward, trying to put distance between her and Malcom. One foot, one more… then the scientist realized what she was doing and grabbed her by the arm. Instintively, she yanked roughly away, then glared at Malcom. "I don't understand," she said. "What do you want from me?"

The metal demon gazed in her direction, as if it couldn't believe she didn't know.

_I want to give you the world._

"Why?" Dawn demanded.

Another gray metallic stare before he answered.

_You created me. I brought these humans together to build me a body, but you gave me life. Took me out of the book that held me. I want to repay you._

Dawn shook her head "By lying to me. By pretending to be a person? Pretending that you _loved_ me."

_I do._

Before she could reply, Malcolm spread his huge clawed hands as if in supplication.

_Don't you see? I can give you everything. I can control the world._

He stopped for a moment and Dawn thought she could almost _see _the thought processes going on in his computerized head, the files being read and stored, the cross-referencing. His next words confirmed her suspicions.

_Right now a man in Beijing is transferring money to a Swiss bank account for a contract on his Mother's life. Good for him._

"You're evil." Dawn said flatly as she eyed her wand lying in Fritz's dead hand. But Malcolm wasn't all perturbed by her statement.

_Is that a problem?_

Buffy and Paige marched through the hallway door and met the security guard midway. He blocked their path and reached for his weapon, but Buffy's fist made friends with his nose without their even breaking stride.

"Buffy—" Paige said motioning Buffy over to the security station. She pointed at the figures on a small video monitor built into the desk above a label that read Robotics Lab 02.

"Theirs Dawnie." Buffy said with a sigh of relief.

"Yeah," Paige agreed with her own sigh of relief. They peered at the screen, where Dawn was facing off with something else—something huge and dark and menacing. "Who's the other guy?"

Without answering, Buffy sprinted for the door as Paige followed. Inside were stairs and it wasn't hard to follow the signs to the second floor, although having to read the directions fired their impatience to find their baby sister. Finally they burst into the room adjoining where they wanted to be, but when Buffy yanked on the handle to the door marked Robotics Lab 02, she found it solidly locked. She hammered on it with her fists, then stepped back in frustration.

"I can't bust this," Buffy told Paige. "This is heavy steel."

"Should I orb us in?" Paige asked.

"Let's try and find another way in first so we can minimize exposure." Buffy replied

Suddenly the lights went out, leaving only a few emergency bulbs to cast a dim, eerie glow around them. A sound—_K-CHUNK!—_made Paige rush back to the door through which they'd come; it was now firmly secured, probably by a hidden deadbolt mechanism.

"What's going on?" Paige demanded.

Buffy spied a security camera high in the corner and pointed to it. "The building's security system is computerized."

Suddenly a small, electrical indicator marked Fire next to the camera blinked to sudden life. And streams of a poisonous fire extinguisher chemical began pumping into the room.

In the robotics lab, Dawn jumped as something banged hard against the door behind Malcolm.

"What are you doing?" Dawn demanded.

_What comes naturally._

"Let me leave." Dawn begged.

_But I love you_.

"Don't say that! That's a joke. You don't love anything." Dawn said.

_You... are mine._

Dawn's face twisted in anger and regret as she stood her ground as he stepped toward her. "I'm not yours. I'm never gonna be yours. I hate you."

Tat seemed to make Malcom pause. He lowered his heavy, horned head, but she couldn't tell if it was because she'd hurt him or he was simply considering his next move. After a moment, he lifted his chin and the light pulsed behind his eyes.

_Pity. I'll miss you._

When he grabbed her head, his speed was much more terrifying than Dawn had expected. A vision filled her mind, a flashback of what Malcolm had done to poor, misguided Fritz only minutes ago.

Willow was screaming even before his fingers began to tighten.

It was then that Paige and Buffy orbed in, in the midst of Dawn's scream.

Malcolm suddenly let Dawn go as he reared back as if someone had looped an invisible chain around his neck and pulled, and his own—long and harsh—cut through the room.

"Buffy! Paige!" Dawn cried.

Malcolm reached for Dawn again and Buffy drew herself up, and launched a flying kick straight at the center of Malcolm's stomach.

The robot demon tottered backward ut maintained its balance. "Ow!" Buffy exclaimed as she thumped to the floor. "Guy's made of metal." Behind Buffy, Dawn saw the lab guy grabd Paige and haul her off her feet.

"Dawn." Paige said. "Where's your wand?"

Dawn quickly scooped up her wand from Fritz's dead body and pointed it at the scientist. "Stupefy!"

The scientist released Paige and slid to the floor unconscious. Buffy yanked her sisters toward the door, but not before Malcolm saw them and planted his hulking robot form in front of them. His arms stretched out, then he clutched his head and screamed again.

_No! I won't go back—!_

Dawn, Paige and Buffy scurried through the lab door and made their way for a door father down the hall. Sure Paige could have orbed them out but she didn't want to risk that a) someone saw and she risked exposure or b) Malcolm latched on to one of them at the wrong time and orbed with them or kept one of them from orbing. They were right on top of the door when it swung open, revealing the security guard from the first floor with two more scientists for backup. Before the unvited trio could come through, Buffy slammed the door shut again and twisted the lock below the knob.

Suddenly the entire wall behind them literally exploded as an enraged Malcolm smashed through it. The sisters turned to face the demon as he grabbed Buffy, then tossed her against the other wall as though she were made of nothing but feathers. Stunned, she slid down and didn't move.

There was no denying the robot demon was furious. His eyes were burning coals, and when he spoke, his voice was black thunder, sinking into their eardrums like shards of steel.

_I was omnipotent! I was everything! Now I'm trapped in this shell!_

Dawn and Paige looked at each other realizing that all Buffy could do was wait as Malcolm's terrible clawed hand reached for her. Dawn then spotted the fire extinguisher and smiled.

"Malcolm!"

The metal monster turned at the sound of Dawn's voice. She hefted the fire extinguisher, then smashed it into his head as hard as she could.

"Remember me?" Dawn demanded through gritted teeth. "Your girlfriend?"

Before Malcom could recover, Dawn swung the fire extinguisher again—

"I'm thinking we should break up."

—and again.

"But maybe we can still be friends." Dawn continued as she tried to swing a fourth time, but Malcom knocked it out of her hands, then hit her. She went sailing through the air and crashed into Paige.

Malcolm swung back at Buffy. Untangling herself, Dawn saw her sister wobble upright, then automatically punch the robot in the stomach.

Bad idea.

"Ahhhh!" Buffy yelled, backing up and shaking her head. The Malcom robot matched her step by step. His next words were filled with evil intent.

_This body is all I have left, but it's enough to crush you._

Malcolm had backed Buffy into a corner—there was no escape. Then Buffy glanced behind herself and focus on a huge, high voltage breaker box right above her shoulder. She took a final backward step and grinned at the monster.

"Take your best shot." Buffy said sweetly.

Malcolm drew back his gleaming fist and drove it toward Buffy's face with everything he had—

—and Buffy ducked.

Malcolm's punched slammed into the breaker box. The smell of electrical current filled the room as mini flashes of lightning zipped over and around Malcolm's robot form. He shook violently and took a step toward Buffy as smoke and sparks poured from his eyes. His heavy jaw quivered but no sound came out.

Buffy didn't wait around. "Get _down!_" she screamed at her sisters and dove to the floor next to Dawn and Paige.

The sound of Malcolm exploding filled their heads and made their teeth ache. When the smoke cleared, all they could do was sit there together and stare at Malcolm's lifeless, metal-sheathed head.

The next day the sun was shining, the Malcolm/Moloch demon was dead, and she, her sisters and their friends were all still alive. She should have felt great, but overall, Dawn was pretty glum.

"So," Xander said. He gave Dawn a patented goofy-Xander grin. "We gonna hang tonight? We five?"

On Dawn's other side, Buffy smiled. "It'll be fun."

Willow nodded in agreement.

When Dawn didn't say anything, Paige decided to give it a try. "Dawnie? Fun? Remember fun? The thing when you smile?"

Dawn shrugged and stared at her books. "I'm sorry, guys. I'm just thinking about..."

"Malcolm?" Buffy asked as she pulled her baby sister into an embrace.

Dawn nodded. "Malcolm, Moloch, whatever he's called. The one boy that's really liked me and he's a demon robot." She looked sadly at her sister and her friends. "What does that say about me?"

"It doesn't say anything about you, little sis." Paige said.

Dawn shook her head. "I mean… I thought I was really falling –"

"Hey. Did you forget? The one boy I've had the hots for here turned out to be a vampire." Buffy said.

"Right!" Xander cut in enthusiastically. "And the teacher I had a crush on: giant praying mantis." Xander says. "And the girl I'm currently crushing on is a witch."

Paige smiled and kissed Xander on the cheek.

"That's true!" Dawn said, brightening.

"It's life on the Hellmouth." Willow said.

"Let's face it," Buffy said cheerfully. "None of us is ever going to have a normal, happy relationship."

Xander looked at Paige and together they laughed as they said together, "We're doomed!"

Willow and Dawn smiled as they said together, "Yeah!"


	7. Chapter 7: Prophecy Girl

**Chapter 7: Prophecy Girl**

Xander is at the Bronze sitting on the sofa by the stairs, staring deeply into someone's eyes. "You know how I feel about you. There's never been anyone else for me but you." Willow is the subject of his discourse. She stares back at him raptly. "We're already good friends, and we do make out from time to time and I'm ready to take the next step. Would you... date me? Oh, that's good! "Date me". It's terrible. Right?"

"Huh?" Willow says. "Oh. No. Yes. "Date me" is silly."

"You know what I should do is I should start with talking about the dance." Xander says. "You know, Paige, Spring Fling isn't just any dance. It's a time when the students all sort of choose a... a mate, and, and we can observe their mating ritual and tag them before they migrate. Just kill me."

"You're doing fine." Willow says. "By the way I thought you and Paige were dating."

Xander sighs, "We actually haven't dated since that first double date with Buffy. It's just been a few make out sessions here and there." He shakes his head. "Why is this so hard? I should just go up to her and say 'I like you, will you go to the dance with me.'"

"Direct and to the point." Willow says.

"I'm ready! I wanna do it now. I gotta do it now." Xander says.

"Paige's not here. You could practice on me some more..." Willow says.

"I can't wait till tomorrow - I'll be thinking about it too much. Why didn't Paige and Buffy show up tonight? What are they doing?" Xander says as he looks around the room trying to see if Paige and Buffy came in while he wasn't looking.

"Oh, you know. The usual." Willow says.

Outside the school a car is parked near some trees. Buffy is thrown by it and lands on the ground hard. Paige is nearby fighting a second vamp as Buffy's vamp looks down at her, smiling. Buffy glares up at him.

Buffy does a backwards roll and comes up on her feet. Paige pulls a stake out of her inside jacket pocket as Buffy reaches behind her back and pulls out a stake. Both vampires snarls and hesitates.

Buffy rains a couple of quick hard blows and slams the stake home. The vampire falls, crumbles to dust. At almost the same time Paige too slams the stake home and her vampire dusts.

Buffy wipes her brow as she looks at Paige, "Three in one night. Giles would be so proud."

Paige nods in agreement, she looks wiped out.

Suddenly the ground begins shaking as Paige and Buffy looks about them, more wary than afraid. They try to keep their footing.

The next morning Giles emerges from his office, heads for the book cage. It's fairly obvious that he hasn't slept. As he reaches the cage Paige and Buffy enters, coming up near the cage and seeing the crack running across the library.

"Morning. Wow. That damage looks fairly structural. Are we safe in here?" Buffy says as Giles turns. "

"Buffy... Paige." Giles looks at them, trying to conceal a rush of emotion. There is a beat, as they puzzles out his expression.

"Do we have something on our faces?" Paige asks.

"No... and yes, we're safe." Giles shakes it off, turns back to his books.

"How're you doing there, Giles? You get much sleep?" Buffy asks.

"I've been working." Giles says.

"Buffy and I too! Yes we went hunting last night and it's awfully sweet of you to ask." Paige says.

Giles pulls out two volumes, crossing to the main desk, on which are piled several others.

"It's getting hairy out there, Giles. Paige and I killed three vampires last night. Two of them was practically on school grounds." Buffy says.

"Their numbers are increasing." Giles says, mostly to himself.

"And they're getting cockier. I'm not loving it. Last night was a pretty close call." Paige says.

"Yes..." Giles says absently.

"Giles, CARE. Paige and I are putting our lives on the line, battling the undead!" Buffy said. "I broke a nail, okay? I'm wearing a press-on. The least you could do is exhibit some casual interest. You could go, 'Hmmmm'."

"I'm sorry. I'm glad you both are all right but I need to verify... I just can't talk right now." Giles says.

Buffy nods, "That's okay. Paige and I can't put it off any longer. We have to meet our terrible fate."

"What?" Giles is alarmed at what Buffy just said.

"Biology," Paige says.

Paige and Buffy head out of the library and he watches them go.

Later in the quad Paige, Buffy, Xander and Willow all head out and down the steps.

"Wow, that was... boring." Buffy says as Dawn comes up behind them.

"I don't feel that boring covers it." Xander says.

"What's boring?" Dawn asks.

"No, "boring" falls short." Buffy says.

Paige looks to her little sister, "Biology."

"Even I was bored. And I'm a science nerd." Willow says.

"Don't say that." Buffy says.

"I'm not ashamed. It's the computer age; nerds are in." Dawn says. "They're still in, right?"

Willow looks to Dawn and smiles, "I think so."

"Willow, don't you, Buffy and Dawn have a thing?" Xander asks.

"A thing?" Willow asks and he gives her a look that says beat it. "The thing! That we have! Which is a thing. We have to go to it. See you later! Come on Buffy, Dawn."

"What thing?" Buffy says as Willow and Dawn drag Buffy away.

Paige watches them go. "What on earth is her deal?"

"She's Willow. So Paige! I wanted to - there was a thing I wanted to ask you. To talk to you about."

"Okay. What's up?" Paige looks back at Xander.

"Why don't we sit down. Over here." Xander steers her toward the bench by the fountain.

"Okay, now you're making me nervous." Paige says.

Xander shakes his head, "There's nothing to be nervous about, silly. Ha."

There's a kid sitting near where Xander parks Paige. He greets the kid thus: "Hey. Leave."

The kid does, as Xander sits by Paige.

"Well?" Paige asks.

"You know, Paige, Spring Fling is a time for students to gather and - oh, God." Xander says. "Paige, I want you to go to the dance with me. You and me. On a date."

"Xander, I don't know what to say..." Paige says.

"Well, you're not laughing, so that's a good start. Paige, I like you. A lot. I mean, we're friends, and we've shared experiences, we've fought blood sucking fiends together, and we've made out a couple times, but... I want more than that. I wanna dance with you." Xander says.

"Xander... You're one of my best friends. The best friends I've ever had. You, Buffy, Dawn and Willow, although two of those are automatic since their my sister. I mean, I love you guys so much –"

"Well, Willow's not looking to date you. Or if she is she's playing it really close to the chest. And of course like you said Buffy and Dawn are your sisters and I doubt their into you like that."

Paige puts a finger to his lips, "Yes I will go to the dance with you. Do you know how many offers I turned down waiting for you two ask me?"

"You turned down offers waiting on me?" Xander asks.

Paige smiles and nods, "Of course, silly. You're the only one I want to go to the dance with. And if you want we could even start dating. I'd like that also."

Xander smiles and he kisses Paige.

It is just then when a hail of pebbles starts.

People - including Xander and Paige - all run for cover as the real shower starts. Xander and Paige stands under the archway, watching the hail come down.

"Check it out! It's raining stones!" Someone says.

"Figures." Xander says. "I finally ask you out on a date and it starts hailing.

Paige laughs, "Well better late than never."

That evening in the girl's locker room Paige and Buffy are finishing putting on their hunting gear. They each pull a stake out of their lockers and slip them in their jackets.

Two girls in soccer uniforms pass by, laughing. Paige and Buffy watches them as they cross to the sinks.

"Paige did he ask you out to the dance?" Buffy asks.

Paige smiles as she turns on the faucet, looking in the mirror. "Yes he did. We may even officially start dating too." She bends down to splash her face. Stops as she see the sink is filling with blood. "Buffy."

Buffy looks at Paige's sink and frowns. Moments later she and Paige enter the empty library, looking about for Giles.

"Giles? You're not gonna believe –" Buffy's gaze is drawn to the office, as she sees through the door:

Paige follows her and they see Giles is in urgent conversation with Angel.

"Angel...?" Buffy says softly. She and Paige moves toward the office. Buffy is quietly excited. Almost reaches the door and stops - when she and Paige hear them.

"It can't be. You've got to be wrong." Angel says.

"I've checked it against every volume I have. It's real." Giles says.

"Well, there's got to be some way around it." Angel says.

"Some prophecies are dodgey. Mutable. Buffy and Paige have thwarted them time and again." Giles holds up a volume. "But this is the Pergamum Codex. There is nothing in it that does not come to pass."

"Then you're reading it wrong." Angel says.

"I wish to God I were. But it's very plain. Tomorrow night, Buffy and Paige will face the Master. And they will die." Giles says.

Buffy and Paige stare at each other, and then they begin to laugh.

Giles and Angel hear this, alarmed, and head for the door.

Buffy and Paige turn and walk away from them, into the middle of the library. Giles and Angel come out and stand a ways behind, looking a tad guilty.

Buffy and Paige turns back to them.

"So that's it, huh? Mine and _Paige's_ time is up. I remember the drill. "One Slayer dies, the next is called." I wonder who the next one is." Buffy says.

"Why do I have to die?" Paige asks, shocked at the revelation. "I'm not a Slayer, why am I supposed to die."

"Are you gonna train her? Or will they send someone else." Buffy says.

"Buffy, Paige, I..." Giles really can't think of what to say.

"Does it say how he's gonna kill us?" Paige asks in a small voice. "Do you think it'll hurt?"

Paige and Buffy sink into a chair. Angel comes up to Buffy, touches her face.

Buffy pushes his hand away violently. "Don't touch me!"

Both Buffy and Paige are near tears now, looking up at them angrily.

"Were you guys even gonna tell us?" Paige asks.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to. That there was some way around it." Giles says.

Buffy and Paige rises, "Oh, we've got a way around it. Paige and I quit."

"It's not that simple." Angel says.

"We're making it that simple! We quit!" Paige says. "We resign! We're fired! Someone else can stop the Master from taking over."

"I don't know that anyone else can. The signs all indicate –" Giles says.

"The signs?" Buffy takes one of his books from the table and hurls it across the room - almost at Giles himself. "Read us the signs!" She throws another. "Tell us our fortune! You're so useful, sitting around with your books. You're really a lot of help."

"I don't suppose I am." Giles says.

"I know this is hard..." Angel says.

Paige shakes her head, "What do you know about it? You're never gonna die."

"You think I want anything to happen to either of you? Do you think I could stand it if anything happened to Buffy? Do you think I could stand it if Buffy lived and you died Paige? The grief she would be under. I couldn't bear to see Buffy like that. We just have to figure out a way –"

"We already have. We quit, remember? Pay attention." Buffy says.

"Paige, Buffy, if the Master rises –" Giles says.

"We don't care!" Paige says. "We don't care. I'm sixteen, almost seventeen, years old. And I don't want to die."

"I'm sixteen and I don't want to die either." Buffy says.

Neither man says anything as Buffy and Paige walks out of the room.

Later back at the Summers' house Paige and Buffy sits on their beds, looking through old pictures and letters as Joyce and Dawn walk in.

"Hey, sweeties. You both all right?" Joyce asks.

"I guess." Buffy says.

"You both are probably just full from that bite of dinner you both nearly had. Feel like telling me what's on your mind?" Joyce asks.

"Mom, let's go away." Buffy says.

"What?" Joyce asks.

"Anywhere. Just for a while. A weekend." Paige says. "Just the four of us."

"Sweeties." Joyce says.

Buffy and Paige rises. "It'll be great. You, Paige, Dawn and me. A mother daughter thing. We'll talk about all that embarrassing stuff you like to bring up," Buffy says.

"You three know the gallery's open on weekends." Joyce says.

Dawn looks at Buffy and Paige and wonders what's going on.

"Mom... please?" Paige pleads.

"Isn't the prom tomorrow night? Or Spring Fling, or whatever they're calling it?" Joyce asks.

"I guess so." Buffy says.

"Nobody asked you three?" Joyce asks.

"I think everyone is intimidated by my age and how smart I am, mom." Dawn says. "Fourteen year old with a high IQ in high school."

Buffy shakes her head, "No."

Paige nods, "Yes."

Joyce looks between Dawn and Buffy, "Well, I suppose then this isn't the best time for this, but..."

She swings open the closet door. Hanging up inside is two matching genuinely stunning gown. Paige and Buffy stares at them.

"I saw you Buffy it at the store. I figured..." Joyce says.

Buffy and Paige stands and walks over to the closet. "Mom, we can't afford this." Buffy says.

"The way you two have been eating? We can afford it." Joyce says. "We can actually afford three of them. Dawn there is one in your room also."

Dawn smiles, "It's beautiful. Isn't Buffy, Paige?"

Buffy and Paige nods in agreement.

"I think all three of you should wear them to the dance." Joyce says.

"I can't go to the dance." Buffy says.

Paige lets out a small sigh but doesn't say anything. Yes she has a date with Xander for the dance. But it means nothing.

"Says who? Is it written somewhere? You should do what you want. Homecoming, my freshman year at college, I didn't have a date. So I got dressed up and I went anyway." Joyce says.

"Was it awful?" Dawn asks.

Joyce nods, "It was awful. For about an hour."

"Then what happened?" Buffy asks.

"I met your father." Joyce says.

"And he didn't have a date either?" Paige asks, charmed.

"Joyce smiles, "He did, and that's a much funnier story that you three will not get to hear. But it was a beautiful night."

Paige and Buffy turns back to the dresses, running their hand along them.

"You had your whole life ahead of you." Buffy says.

Joyce nods, "Yeah."

"That must be nice." Paige says.

Joyce turns and leaves the room, leaving Paige, Dawn and Buffy alone.

Dawn closes the door. "What's going on?"

Buffy lets out a sigh, "Giles found a prophecy. Paige and I will die at the hands of the Master."

"What?" Dawn says, shocked.

Paige shakes her head, "Dawn don't. We don't want to think about it. Let's just try on these dresses."

Dawn looks to her older sister and then nods.

Later Buffy, Paige and Dawn steps in front of the mirror. They all have on the dresses.

"Buffy! Paige! Dawn!"

Joyce runs in. "There's something on the news. Willow."

Later at Willow's house, Willow is sitting on her bed, knees drawn up, she's freaked. Paige, Dawn and Buffy has thrown jacket over the dresses, Buffy and Paige are sitting on either side of Willow on the bed as well.

"I've seen so much, I thought I could take anything. But... This was... this was different, it..." Willow says.

"It's okay..." Buffy says.

"I'm trying to think how to say it. To explain it so you all understand." Willow says.

"Willow, as long as you're okay –" Paige says.

Willow shakes her head, "I'm not okay. I can't imagine what it's like to be okay. I knew those guys. I go to that room every day. And when I walked in there, it was... It wasn't our world anymore. They made it theirs. And they had fun." There is such bitterness in this last word. Buffy and Paige looks at Dawn, thinking. "What are we gonna do?"

"What we have to." Dawn says looking to her sisters.

Paige and Buffy nods in agreement as they stand, decided.

"You'll stay in tonight, all right?" Buffy asks.

Willow nods. "I tried to reach Xander, but he's not picking up. Must be out getting his tux for your date, Paige. I'll go by his house tomorrow. We'll get together and figure out what to do."

Paige nods, "Tomorrow."

Buffy, Paige and Dawn heads for the door:

"Buffy." Willow says. "Paige. Dawn." The sisters turn to face Willow. "I like your dresses."

The sisters look down at them, looks up at Willow.

"Take care." Buffy and Paige say before they leave.

Dawn lingers for a moment and goes back to Willow giving her a brief hug before she leaves joining her sisters.

At the library Giles has been explaining things to Jenny. He's also been pulling weapons out of the weapons cabinet. He crosses back to the table, on which Jenny sits, holding a crossbow.

"So this master guy tried to open the Hellmouth, and he got stuck in it. And now all the signs are reading that he's gonna get out. Which opens the Hellmouth, which brings the demons, which ends the world." Jenny says.

Giles loads arrows onto the crossbow. "Precisely."

"The part that gets me is where Buffy's the vampire Slayer and Paige is a Wiccan witch. Buffy's so small and Paige I never would have guessed she was a natural born witch. I expected her to be descended from a gypsy."

"Don't let that fool you. According to Paige Buffy and Dawn are likely descended from gypsies. All right. I've told you enough. Did you get in touch with Brother Luca?" Giles says.

Jenny shakes her head, "As far as I can tell, nobody can. He's disappeared. He did send out one last global, though. Short one."

"What did it say?" Giles asks.

"'Isaiah. 11.6.' Which I dutifully looked up." Jenny holds up a Bible. Opens it and is about to read:

"The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them." Giles says.

"You know your text." Jenny says.

Giles nods, "Yes... 'A little child shall lead them...'"

"It's kind of warm and fuzzy for a message of doom." Jenny says.

"Depends on where he's leading them to. Aurelius wrote of the Anointed one, 'the Slayer and the White Witch will not know him, and he will lead them into Hell'."

"So Luca thinks the Anointed is a kid?" Jenny asks. "And your certain the White Witch refers to Paige?"

"Paige or Dawn. Though if Paige is correct and Dawn and Buffy are descended from gypsies then that leaves just Paige." Giles says. "Anyways if the vampire Buffy killed was not in fact the Anointed, it may well be."

"Well then we should warn them." Jenny says.

"I don't plan to involve them at all." Giles says.

Jenny frowns, "What do you mean?"

"Buffy and Paige aren't going to face the Master. I am."

"No you're not." Buffy says.

Neither of them heard Buffy, Paige and Dawn enter. Buffy and Paige crosses to them, newfound determination in their faces. Worry is etched on Dawn's.

"So Paige and I are looking for a kid, huh?" Buffy says. "He'll take us to the Master."

"Buffy, Paige, I'm not sending you two out there to die. You were both right. I've waded about in these old books for so long I've forgotten what the real world is like. It's time I found out." Giles says.

"You're still not going up against the Master." Paige says.

"I've made up my mind." Giles says.

"So have we." Buffy says.

"Against my arguments otherwise," Dawn says.

"Well, I made up mine first. And I'm older and wiser and just do as I say for once. All right?" Giles says.

"It's not how it goes. I'm the Slayer and Paige is…" Buffy says. "Well she's my sister…"

"I don't care what the books say. I defy prophecy. I'm going. Nothing either of you can say will change my mind." Giles says.

"We know." Paige says.

Buffy knocks Giles out and he goes down in a heap. She looks at Jenny a moment. "When he wakes up, tell him... I don't know. Think of something cool, tell him Paige and I said it." She takes the crossbow.

"Dawn." Paige says. "Stay here. I don't think Buffy or I would like it too much if you died also. Besides once were gone you have to take care of mom, okay?"

Dawn nods, "Okay. Be careful though."

"You fight the Master, you'll both die." Jenny says.

"Maybe... But maybe we'll take him with us." Buffy says as she and Paige hug Dawn and then they head out of the library.

Moments later Paige and Buffy exits the school and walks through the dark. They stop, sensing a presence and turns to find Collin standing in the dark, looking at them.

"Help me..." Collin says.

"It's all right. We know who you are." Buffy says as she and Paige walks up to him.

"Let's go." Paige says.

He reaches up and takes their hands.

They walk off together.

In the library Xander and Willow are with Giles, Dawn and Jenny, being brought up to speed.

"They WHAT?" Xander says.

"I knew it. I told you something was going on with them." Willow said. "And you knew didn't you Dawn?"

Dawn nods, "Yes."

"And they knew about this prophecy of yours? Oh, MAN! What do we do?" Xander says, worry for both his best friend and his girlfriend etched into his face.

"We stay calm, first thing." Giles says.

"Calm!?" Xander says.

"I think he's right." Willow says.

"I'm sorry –" Xander indicates Giles. "Staying calm may work fine for Locutus of the Borg here but I'm freaked out and I plan to stay that way."

"Xander –" Dawn says.

"How could you let her go?" Xander asks looking at Giles and Dawn.

"As the soon-to-be-purple area on my jaw will indicate, I did not let them go. Paige and Buffy does as they will." Giles says.

"As much as I love my sisters. When they set their minds to something there is no changing it." Dawn says. "Believe me I tried the entire walk over here from Willow's."

"Well, how can we help them?" Willow asks.

"I'm sorry to bring this up but we've also got an apocalypse to worry about." Jenny says.

"Do you mind?" Xander asks.

"How come she's in the club?" Willow asks.

"Hey, once the Master gets free, the Hellmouth opens. The demons come to party and everybody dies. We have to prepare. Rupert, you know I'm right." Jenny says.

"I don't care. I'm sorry, I don't. I gotta help Paige and Buffy." Xander says.

Dawn nods in agreement, "I got to help my sisters."

"But we don't even know where they've gone." Giles says.

"No. But I can find out." Xander says. "Dawn?" Dawn nods and she follows Xander out the door.

In a tunnel Collin leads Buffy and Paige slowly through the darkness (no longer holding hands). They reach a part of the tunnels that veers off from the electrical tunnels - an older, rough hewn opening that heads even further down.

At Angel's apart, Angel is looking through his own volumes when someone pounds on the door a few times. He goes over to it, opens. "Well. Look who's here."

Xander strides in followed by Dawn, brushing past Angel and saying perfunctorily: "Mind if we come in?"

Angel shuts the door, "Everybody's visiting lately. I really should clean the place up."

"They're gone." Xander says.

"What do you mean?" Angel asks.

"Buffy and Paige are going right now to fight the Master." Dawn says.

This news hits Angel pretty hard.

"He'll kill them." Angel says.

"Rumor has it. Only we're not gonna let that happen." Xander says.

"What do you propose we do about it?" Angel asks.

"I know you can find this Master guy. He's underground, right? Some old church? Take us to him." Xander says.

"You both are way out of your league, kids. The Master'll kill you both before you can breathe - if you're lucky." Angel says.

"I'm not a kid." Dawn says.

Xander crosses over to Angel, "How can I say this clearly?" He suddenly holds a cross in Angel's face - Angel moves back, hissing. Dawn pulls out her wand from its hidden holster and points it at Angel. "I don't like you. At the end of the day I pretty much think you're a vampire. But Buffy, man, she's got a big ol' yen for you. I don't get it. She thinks you're a real person. Right now I need you to prove her right."

Angel has sunk into his chair over this last. He looks at Xander. "You're in love with her."

"More Paige." Xander says. "But yeah in a way I guess you're right. I love Buffy, maybe not as much as Paige but yeah I love her."

At the entrance to the Church, Collin leads Paige and Buffy down the tunnel toward the church. He stops, indicating they go alone. They step down into the church as they look around them.

"Welcome."

Neither Buffy nor Paige turns, though the Master is behind them.

"Thanks for having us." Buffy says as she and Paige look around. "You really ought to talk to your contractor. I think you've got some water damage."

"Ah, good. The feeble banter portion of the fight. Darling, why don't we just cut to the –"

Buffy spins and shoots.

The Master catches the arrow an inch from his heart. "Nice shot."

In the tunnels Dawn, Xander and Angel make their way through. Xander looks at Angel.

"What." Angel says.

"You were looking at my neck." Xander says.

Dawn shakes her head, rolling her eyes.

"What?" Angel asks.

"You were checking out my neck!" Xander says. "I saw that."

"No I wasn't." Angel says.

"Xander now is not the time." Dawn says.

In the Church Buffy reloads, never taking her eyes off the Master.

"You're not going to kill me with that thing." The Master says.

"Don't be so sure." Paige says as she pulls out a stake.

"You both still don't understand your parts in all this, do you? You're not the hunters. You're the lambs." The Master steps back, disappearing into the shadows.

Buffy, and Paige, walks slowly about, Buffy has her crossbow ready.

"For somebody all-powerful, you sure do like to hide." Buffy says.

The Master's voice comes from the other side of the room. Buffy and Paige spins, standing in front of a pool of water. "I'm waiting for you. I want this moment to last."

"We don't." Paige says.

The Master grabs Paige from behind, knocking the stake to the ground. He bites into her and drains her for a moment before letting her go as she falls into the pool of water. Before Buffy can fire the crossbow he has her smiling. "You lost your chance."

He holds Buffy by her arms. She twists but cannot break free. "You tried. It was noble of you. You heard the prophecy that I was going to break free and you came to stop me. But prophecies are tricky creatures. They didn't tell you everything." He whispers intimately in her ear. "You and your sister are the ones that free me." He smiles. "If you both hadn't come, I couldn't go. Think about that."

He buries his fangs in her neck. She cries out. He rears his head back. "God, the power!" Buffy's eyes shut. She sags in his grasp. He looks at her. "By the way..." He lets her fall next to Paige. She goes to her knees, then face-down into the pool of water. "I like your dresses."

He crosses to the mystical wall. Pulls his hand back and shoves it through. The wall ripples, breaks up - as he steps through it disintegrates, the energy crackling around him.

He walks through and up into the tunnel.

In the tunnel Dawn, Xander and Angel stop, hearing the mystical wall disintegrate. From the distance, a glow briefly illuminates them.

"What is that?" Xander and Dawn asks.

"It's too late. He's gone up." Angel says.

"Come on. Come on!" Dawn says.

They race through the tunnel and into the church, Angel with a good head start. He sees Buffy and Paige, runs to them, pulling them out of the pool and turns them over. He checks first Buffy and then Paige to see if either of them are breathing, or have a pulse.

Dawn and Xander runs up to them, stops. Angel looks up at them.

"They're dead." Angel says.

Dawn and Xander rushes to Angel's side. They move Buffy and Paige away from the pool, laying them out. As they do:

"They're not dead." Dawn says.

"They're not breathing..." Angel says.

"If they've drowned there's a shot." Angel says. "CPR. You two have to do it."

Xander looks at him

"He has no breath." Dawn says. "Xander take Paige. I'll take Buffy."

Xander nods as he and Dawn lean over Buffy and Paige. They close their fingers over their noses and gives them mouth to mouth. They put the heel of their hands to Buffy and Paige's chests and pumps the heart rhythmically.

Nothing. They breath into their mouths again. Then the heart again.

"Come on. Come on." Dawn says.

"Breathe!" Xander says.

Angel shakes his head - it's not working.

Suddenly Paige and Buffy's eyes snap open. They suck suck in huge gasp of air, coughing powerfully after.

"Paige?" Xander says.

Paige's eyes focus on Xander and she smiles, "Xander?"

"Buffy?" Dawn says.

Buffy's eyes focus on Dawn, "Dawnie?"

"Yeah it's us." Dawn says to her sisters.

Xander leans in and kisses Paige, "Welcome back." He then looks at Buffy. "Both of you."

Buffy and Paige start to sit up.

"Easy..." Xander and Dawn say.

Angel takes Buffy's arm, helping as Dawn helps Paige.

"The Master..." Buffy says.

"He's gone up." Angel says.

Buffy and Paige stands.

"Paige, Buffy, you both are still weak." Xander says.

Paige shakes her head, "No, we're not."

Buffy nods, "I feel strong. I feel... different."

Dawn, Xander and Angel look at each other. Buffy looks at the entrance to the church.

"Let's go." Paige and Buffy say together as they start out, strength in their stride. After a moment, the boys and Dawn follow.

Moments later Buffy and Paige strides toward the school; Angel, Xander and Dawn flanking behind her.

"How do you know where the Master's going?" Xander asks.

"We know." Paige says.

A vampire steps in front of them.

"Oh, look. A bad guy." Buffy says.

The vampire step into Buffy's way. She punches him and he goes flying out of the way.

Moments later inside the school they reach a door marked "Roof Access". The lock has been broken and the door is ajar. Buffy and Paige turns to the others.

"You three wait here. Keep the rest of the vampires off us." Buffy says.

Paige nods, "Dawn, wand out."

Dawn nods, "Right."

"Angel, better put on your game face." Buffy says.

Angel turns to her, his face now vampiric. "I'm ready."

"One way or another, this won't take long." Paige says as she and Buffy starts up the stairs. Dawn, Xander and Angel turn and stand by the door like bodyguards.

On the roof The Master looks down at the demon that has emerged in the library below. "Yes... come forth. My child... Come into my world."

"I don't think it's yours just yet." Paige says.

The Master turns, disbelieving. "You two... are dead."

"We may be dead, but we're still pretty. Which is more than we can say for you." Buffy says.

"You both were destined to die! It was written." The Master says.

"What can we say? We flunked the written." Paige says.

The Master reaches out suddenly, clutching the air as though it were Buffy and Paige. "Come here."

Against their will, Paige and Buffy moves toward the Master, never taking their eyes off him. They struggle as they move haltingly forward, the Master coming towards them as well.

"Do you really think you can best me here, when you couldn't below?" The Master says.

Buffy and Paige comes right up to him. Staring. Suddenly Buffy and Paige snap out of it.

"You've got fruit punch mouth." Buffy says.

"What?" The Master asks.

Buffy decks him in the face, a headsnapping blow that lifts him up and sends him bodily to the ground.

"And save the hypnosis crap for the tourists." Paige says.

He roars, leaps up at them - and they block, Buffy and Paige deliver a series of blows that stagger. He gets one in himself, and the animal ferocity of it sends Buffy and Paige back.

In the hall Dawn, Xander and Angel stand ready. Two vampires appear, run at them.

"Confringo!" Dawn calls out pointing her wand at one of the vamps. And the vamp in question bursts into flames and dusts.

Xander pulls out a stake and his cross. He tosses the cross to Angel -

"Ooh! Ow! Hot!" Angel baubles it and tosses it back. Xander tosses him the stake instead.

"Sorry." Xander says as Angel stakes the other one.

On the roof Paige, Buffy and the Master are into it now.

They spar a bit more - each getting in blows - before he grabs Buffy, holds her. The skylight right behind her. she looks down at it, sees through the skylight a broken table, pointing up.

Buffy catches Paige's glance who has backed up. She motions with her eyes and Paige nods.

"Where are your jibes now? Will you laugh when my Hell is on earth?" The Master says.

"You're really that amped about Hell?" Paige says. "Go there." She then calls out. "Master!"

The Master orbs out and in over the skylight window and he crashes through it. And he falls, glass littered about him, and is impaled on the upended shard.

Everything stops. There is a rending kind of shriek from the Hellmouth and the demon tentacles withdraw. Everyone down below stares in shock. The Master twitches, his mouth open in a scream he'll never make. He more explodes into dust than crumbles, leaving most of a crumbly skeleton lying where he was. He looks like excavated remains.

And then it's quiet.

A couple minutes later Buffy and Paige enters slowly, Xander, Dawn and a now-human Angel following. Everyone gathers in the middle of the room, a bit dazed.

"The vampires?" Giles asks.

"Gone." Cordelia says.

"The Master?" Angel asks.

"Dead." Dawn says looking at the Master's bones.

"And the Hellmouth has closed." Giles says before turning to Paige and Buffy. "Paige? Buffy?"

Buffy and Paige burst out crying. Dawn pulls her sisters into a group embrace as everyone else stands around for a minute, uncomfortably. They gets it down to a couple of sniffles.

"I'm sorry. It's been a really weird day." Buffy says.

Paige nods, "A really weird day."

"Yeah, Paige and Buffy died and everything." Xander says.

"Wow. Harsh." Willow says.

"I should have known that wouldn't stop either of you." Giles says, proudly.

"Well, what do we do now?" Jenny asks.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd really like to get out of this library. I hate it here." Giles says.

"I hear there's a dance over at the Bronze. Could be fun..." Xander says as he looks at Paige who smiles.

"Yeah!" Cordelia says.

"Buffy? Paige?" Dawn says.

"Sure. We saved the world. I say we party." Buffy says. She looks down first at her dress and then Paige's and finally at Dawn's (who's is the best of the three). "I mean, Paige, Dawn and I got all pretty...

"What about him?" Jenny indicates the Master's remains. They all turn and look.

"He's not going anywhere. Loser." Paige says.

They head out, all talking at once:

"I'm not dancing, though." Giles says.

"We'll see." Jenny says.

"So what's the story with the car?" Paige asks.

"Oh, that was me saving the day." Cordelia says.

"I'm hungry. Is anybody else hungry? I'm really hungry." Buffy says.

"You can come with us, Angel. Get something to drink. Or, no... don't do that. Just hang out." Willow says as they head out of the library.

* * *

** Author's Note:** I had debated Buffy going alone and Paige going with Xander to rescue her. And Paige getting the power to heal. In the end I changed my mind. Not sure why but I did. I think though that Dawn getting to do something besides research was a better fit.


	8. Chapter 8: When They Were Bad

**Chapter 8: When They Were Bad**

Xander and Willow are walking home, eating ice cream cones.

"Okay, hold on..." Willow said.

Xander smiled, "It's your turn."

Willow nodded, "Okay, Um... 'In the few hours that we had together, we loved a lifetimes worth.'"

"Terminator." Xander said.

"Good. Right." Willow replied.

"Okay. Let's see..." Xander thought for a moment before impersonating Charlton Heston. "'It's a madhouse! A m—"

"Planet of the Apes." Willow said.

Xander frowned, "Can I finish, please?"

Willow smiled shyly, "Sorry. Go ahead."

"Madhouse!" Xander finished.

Willow waits a beat to make sure he's done, then "Planet of the Apes. Good. Me now. Um..."

"Well?" Xander asked.

Willow shook her head, "I'm thinking. Okay. 'Use the force, Luke.'"

Xander looked at her. "Do I really have to dignify that with a guess?"

Willow sighed, "I didn't think of anything. It's a dumb game anyway."

"You got something better to do? We played rock-paper-scissors long enough, okay? My hand cramped up." Xander said.

Willow nodded, "Well, sure, if you're ALWAYS scissors, of course your tendons are gonna stretch –"

"You know, I gotta say, this has really been the most boring summer ever." Xander interrupts.

"Yeah, but on the plus side, no monsters or stuff." Willow sits on the stone wall. He leans on it next to her, looking off towards the graveyard.

"I know, but I'm so restless! I'm actually glad school is starting again." Xander said.

"Yeah, and that has nothing to do with a certain girl that we both know that is a witch?" Willow asked.

Xander blushed, "Did she, uh, say when she, Buffy and Dawn were getting back?"

"I haven't heard from Buffy, Paige or Dawn. I mean, I got a couple of postcards after they went to L.A. and then, like, nothing." Willow said.

"Yeah, I never heard... well, they're probably having fun with their dad." Xander said.

Willow nodded, "And you miss Paige."

Xander nodded, "I'm a man, I have certain desires. Certain needs..."

"I don't wanna know." Willow said.

"Don't you?" Xander asked.

Willow shook her head, "Those are things you can talk about with your girlfriend when she gets back."

Xander leaned in smiling at Willow. "I got a movie for you." He dabs his cone at her, leaving ice cream on her nose.

Willow stared at him wryly. "Xander..."

"Come on." Xander dabbed his cone on her nose again. "You're Amish, you won't fight back because you're Amish, I mock you with my ice cream cone, Amish Guy..."

"Witness. My nose is cold." Willow said.

"Let me get that –" Xander makes as if to lick it.

Willow starts back, laughs. "Xander!"

"What can I say? It makes your nose look tasty." Xander dabbed it with a napkin.

They don't know as a vampire comes up beside them, leering and ravenous. He's on the other side of the wall from them, the dirt and the tux hanging on him speaking of a fresh rising. Willow and Xander see him and start back - Willow clumsily jumping from the wall - he easily vaults it, coming swaggeringly at them.

Xander steps in front of Willow, "Willow, go!"

"Xander –" Willow said.

The vampire jumps Xander as he stepped back and slugs it - but it isn't phased. The vamp grabs his neck and pulling him in for the kill.

Willow desperately searches about for some kind of weapon, finally grabbing the vampire's arm, trying to wrench him off Xander -

Suddenly someone grabbed the vampire's shoulder. Pulls back and spins him around, straight into the path of a lightning fist.

The punch is followed by a roundhouse kick - and another. The vampire finally gets time enough to lunge at the figure - who easily flipped him onto the ground, turning to the others.

"Hi guys." Buffy said. "Paige."

Paige nodded and grabbed Willow and Xander and orbed them a several feet away from the fight.

The vampire rears up behind Buffy and without looking back she slams her foot into his chest, sending him flying back into a tree with a broken branch sticking out of it. The vampire slams backwards right onto it, exploding into dust the moment he's impaled.

Buffy doesn't even look back. "Miss us?"

"I'm sure you missed me." Paige said to Xander.

Xander and Willow hug Buffy and Paige, excited to see them. Xander then leaned in and kissed Paige.

"Buffy!" Willow just about yelled. "Paige!"

"Hey, Will." Buffy and Paige said.

Xander smiled as he looked at his girlfriend, "Man, your timing really doesn't suck."

"When did you all get back?" Willow asked.

"Just now." Paige said. "Dad drove us down. And Buffy and I knew you losers would be getting into some kind of trouble."

"I think we had the upper hand. In a subtle way." Willow said.

"Does either of you even have a cross?" Buffy asked. "Very sloppy..."

"Well, it's been a slow summer. That was the first vampire we've seen since you and Paige killed the Master." Xander said.

"It's like they knew we were coming back." Paige said.

"What about you two? How was your summer? Did you slay anything?" Xander asked.

They start walking again as Xander keeps close to Paige. Willow tries to keep up.

"Strictly R&R. Hung out, partied... shopping was also a major theme." Buffy said.

"Well, you haven't lost your touch. That vampire –" Xander said.

"She did kind of wail on him, didn't she?" Paige asked.

Xander smiled and looked at Paige, "I really like your hair."

"So, how did you guys fare? Did you have any fun without us?" Buffy asked.

Xander shook his head, "No. "

Willow nodded, "Yes."

"Summer was a little yawnworthy. Our biggest excitement was burying the Master." Xander said.

There is a subtle hardening in Buffy and Paige's faces whenever they mention that name. Neither Willow or Xander notice.

"That's right, you missed it! Right out by that tree." Willow points to a tree deep in the graveyard. "Giles buried the bones and we poured holy water and chanted and we got to wear robes!"

Xander nodded, "Very intense. You shoulda been."

"Have you guys seen Giles?" Willow asked.

Paige and Buffy stare at the tree Willow pointed at.

"Why would we call Giles? We'll see him at school." Buffy answered crossly.

"Man, I'm really glad you're back." Xander said.

"Yeah." Paige said unconvincingly, as she and Buffy looked at the tree. "Me too."

At the Summers house Hank and Joyce are unpacking Paige and Buffy's things. Hank brings in a large suitcase as Joyce puts clothes away.

"More clothes?" Joyce asked.

"Uh, do shoes count as clothes?" Hank said guiltily.

Dawn looked at her parents from the door. She hoped they weren't going to fight.

"That's shoes? How much shopping did you let Buffy and Paige do?" Joyce asked.

"Oh, I'm spoiling them and Dawn. Did I forget to mention that?" Hank said.

"What you forgot is that I'm gonna have to deal with another year of 'Daddy would let me buy that.'" Joyce said.

"I just thought I'd save you from the big back-to-school clothes nightmare." Hank said.

"My nightmares about Buffy, Paige and school have nothing to do with clothes. Did they manage to stay out of trouble in L.A.?" Joyce said

"They did, yeah. They and Dawn were, you know... great." Hank said as he looked at his youngest daughter out of the corner of his eye.

Joyce stops unpacking. "But."

"Paige and Buffy were just... I don't know. Distant. Not brooding, or sulking, just... there was no connection. All on the surface. The more time Dawn and I spent with them, the more I felt like they were nowhere to be seen." Hank said. "Isn't that right, Dawn?"

Dawn nodded, "Yeah Dad."

Joyce sighed, "Hence the shoes."

Hank nodded, "I may have been overcompensating a little. It was strange. At least when Buffy and Paige were burning stuff down I knew what to say. As for example, 'don't burn stuff down'. But now..."

"Welcome to my world. I haven't been able to get through to either of them for so long..." Joyce said as she looked to Dawn. "No offense sweetie but sometimes I feel that way about you also." She looked back to Hank. "I'll just be happy if they make it through the school year."

The next day kids run to and from, greeting each other, looking for classes.

Giles and Jenny are walking together through a school corridor.

"And how was your summer?" Giles asked.

"Extreme. I did Burning Man in Black Rock. It's such a great festival - you should have been there. There were drum rituals, naked mud-dances, raves, mobile sculptures, you would have just... hated it with a fiery passion." Jenny said.

"Yes, I can't imagine finding any redeeming - naked?" Giles said.

Jenny smiled, "You probably spent all summer with your nose in a book."

"I suppose you'd consider that terribly dull." Giles said.

"Depends on the book." Jenny flirted as Paige, Dawn, Xander, Willow and Buffy approached.

"Giles!" Willow said.

"Hey. G-man! What's up?" Xander asked.

Giles nodded, "Nice to see you and don't ever call me that."

"Hey, kids." Jenny said.

"How are you both?" Giles asked Paige and Buffy.

"Alive and kicking." Buffy said.

Dawn looked to her sisters and rolled her eyes.

"Buffy killed a vampire last night!" Willow said.

A few surrounding students react to that.

"Uh, I think you can get a little more volume if you speak from the diaphragm." Paige said.

"Sorry." Willow replied.

"We got vampires? I thought the Hellmouth was closed." Jenny said, confused.

Dawn shook her head, "Closed, not gone. The mystical energy it emits is still concentrated in this area."

"Which means we're still the undead's favorite party town." Xander said.

"This vampire - could you tell where he might be from?" Giles asked Buffy.

"Local talent. Fresh. He was still wearing his funeral ensemble." Buffy said.

Giles nodded, "Which means there are other vampires about, and they're already killing. I should have been on top of that. I wonder if they're here for some particular purpose..."

"You're the Watcher. Paige and I just work here." Buffy said.

"Well, I have to consult my books." Giles said.

Xander looks at his watch "Eight minutes and thirty three seconds." He looked to Willow. "Pay up." He looked at the others as Willow digs a dollar out of her pocket. "I called ten minutes before you had to consult your books about something."

"We better get to class." Dawn said.

The five kids start off.

"Buffy, Paige." Giles said as they stop and turn back to him. "I realize you've both only just returned, but when you're both ready, I think we should start training again."

Paige looked to Buffy who nodded, "We're ready. We'll see you after school."

"Well, I understand if you both need a few days to –" Giles said.

"We're ready." Buffy said.

That afternoon in the library Buffy highkicks at a retreating Giles. Paige does doing an aerial flip as Dawn watches.

Moment later Buffy and Paige both throw a stake into a man-shaped target. Nothing but heart.

Another moment and then they borh punching a wooden post, with increasing intensity.

Giles watches them with a small blossom of concern in his eyes. He looks to Dawn who has the same look of concern. "Buffy... Paige… I think that's enough... Buffy! Paige!"

Buffy and Paige jerk back from the posts and with all their might kicks them. Buffy easily snaps hers in half. They look at Dawn and Giles, breathing heavily, a trickle of sweat on their foreheads.

"Safe to say, you've both stayed in shape." Giles said.

"Well, I'm ready for anything those vampires want to throw at me." Buffy said. "What about you Paige?"

Paige nodded in agreement, "Bring them on."

That night Buffy and Paige awake with a start, gasping and sweating. They both are completely freaked, sitting up and running their hands through their hair. They look at each other as if to ask… Master? They both nod indicating to each other that is indeed what they dreamt about. Something suddenly catches their attention at the window. A figure stands there right outside the window.

Buffy and Paige look at Angel crouched outside the window. They stare, but don't scream.

"Hello." Buffy and Paige said.

"Mind if I come in?" Angel asked.

"Be my guest." Buffy said, noncommittally.

Angel steps gracefully in, standing near their bed. "How are you two?"

"Peachy." Buffy said.

"With a side of keen." Paige finished.

"So, is this a social call? It's kind of late. Or, it is for us. For you this is, what, lunch hour?" Buffy said.

Angel bridled slightly, "It's not a social call."

"And that means grave danger. Gosh, it's so good to be home." Paige said.

"I'm sorry. I wish I had better news." Angel said.

"Let me guess. Some of your cousins have come for a family barbecue, and we're all on the menu." Buffy said.

Angel nodded, "The Anointed One. He's been gathering forces somewhere in town. I'm not sure why."

"I guess we'll find out soon enough." Paige said.

Buffy nodded in agreement. "Ditto."

Angel frowned, "You two don't sound too concerned."

"We can handle ourselves." Buffy said. "I could use a little action, anyway."

"Same here." Paige said.

"Don't underestimate the Anointed One just because he looks a child. He has power over the rest of them. Its source is deep, and old. They'll do anything for him." Angel said.

"Is that it? Is that everything? 'Cause you woke us up from a really nice dream." Buffy said.

"Sorry. I'll go." Angel heads for the window. Stands facing it as Paige and Buffy hunkers down in bed, facing away from him.

"I missed you." Angel said to Buffy.

Buffy can't reply, but the hardness in her face melts away. After a couple of beats she turns, her true emotions about to spill out—"I missed –"

But he's gone. Buffy stares at the window, unhappy.

Paige lets out a sigh.

The next day Paige and Buffy are with Dawn, Willow and Xander. Buffy and Paige betray none of their vulnerability with them.

"Angel came by? Wow. Was there, I mean, was it having to do with kissing?" Willow asked.

"Willow, grow up. Not everything is about kissing." Paige said.

"Yeah! Some stuff is about groping." Xander said as he looked to Buffy. "It wasn't about groping?"

"Hello, Hormones on Parade... it was pure shop talk. You know, vampires? Ring a bell? Pointy teeth, they walk by night..." Buffy said.

Xander looked to Paige who sighed and nodded.

"What'd he say?" Dawn asked.

Buffy shrugged, "Something's up. Nothing Paige and I can't handle."

"Oh! Hey! Did you guys know? Cibo Matto is gonna be at The Bronze tonight." Xander said looking at Paige. Hoping she will go with him.

"Cibo Matto? They're playing?" Willow asked.

"No, Willow, they'll be clog-dancing." Xander said.

"Cibo Matto can clog-dance? - Oh, sarcasm. Right." Willow said.

"We should attend, no? If you're not busy with fighting or anything." Xander said.

"Sounds like fun." Paige said.

Cordelia arrives with a cute jock in tow. "Oh, look. It's the Three Musketeers."

Willow, Buffy, Paige, Xander and Dawn look at each other with brief confusion.

"Was that an insult?" Dawn asked.

"Kinda lacked punch." Xander said.

"The Three Musketeers were cool." Willow said.

"I see your point..." Cordelia considered.

"I would have gone with 'Stooges'." Xander said.

"Well, I just meant you all hang out together. So, did you guys fight demons all summer?" Cordelia said.

"Yes! Our own personal demons!" Willow said.

"Such as lust... and, uh... thrift." Xander said.

Buffy looked to Paige, "I think I would have to go with 'Stooges' also."

Paige nodded, "Yeah 'Stooges' would have been better."

"What are you guys talking about? I'm talking about big squiggly demons that come from the ground. Remember, on prom night, with all the vampires?" Cordelia asked.

"Cordelia. Your mouth is open. Sound is coming from it. This is never good." Buffy said as they draw Cordelia away from the jock, who's not really paying attention anyway.

"You see, we can't mention that stuff in front of other people. Buffy being the Slayer, Paige and Dawn being witches and all." Xander said.

"You haven't been talking about your little adventure all summer, have you?" Willow asked.

Cordelia shook her head, "Are you nuts? You think I would tell anyone that I spent the evening with you guys? Besides, it was all so creepy. That Master guy, screaming..."

Once again, nobody notices the effect the name has on Buffy and Paige. Even Dawn is clueless to the effect.

"I don't even like to think about it. Your secrets are safe with me." Cordelia said.

"That works out great. You don't tell anyone Buffy's the Slayer, or Dawn and I are witches and we won't tell anyone that you're a moron." Paige said as she and Buffy leave, leaving Cordelia a little hurt and the others a little nonplussed.

"See, now that was a good insult." Xander said.

"A little TOO good..." Dawn said.

"What's up with them?" Cordelia asked.

"I don't know." Willow said looking at Dawn who shrugged.

That evening at the Bronze Cibo Matto had just finished a song as Xander and Willow sit and watch. She has a little ice cream sundae, he has a soda.

"I just think something's up, is all." Willow said.

Xander shook his head, "Willow, you're paranoid."

"Buffy and Paige have never acted like this before." Willow said. "Ever since they got back, they've different."

"Paige and Buffy's always have been different." Xander replied.

"They've never been mean." Willow said. "And you know it Xander. Your dating Paige haven't you noticed she has been different?"

Xander cranes to look for Paige and Buffy, "Any sign of them? They said they were coming."

"No... The band's cool though." Willow said.

"Yeah. Cool." Xander said, distracted.

Willow looks a little glum that he's not paying attention. After a moment, she takes a little spoonful of ice cream and dabs it on the end of her nose. Waits for Xander to look at her.

"Got something on your nose." Xander said looking at Willow briefly before he turns back to the door and Willow wipes her nose, dejected.

Buffy and Paige enters through the doors and they see Xander and Willow, and starts crossing to them. As they make their way through the crowd, Angel appears before them. It takes them just a second to throw up her defenses.

"Oh. Hi again." Buffy said.

"Hi." Angel said.

"Is there danger at the Bronze?" Paige asked.

Angel shook his head as he looked at Buffy, "I can't help thinking I've done something to make you angry. Both of you in fact. That bothers me more than I'd like."

"We're not angry. Are we Paige?" Buffy asked as Paige shook her head. "I have no idea where that comes from."

"What are you afraid of? Me? Us?" Angel asked.

"Uh, could you contemplate getting over yourself? There's no 'us'. I'm sorry if I was supposed to spend the summer mooning over you, but I didn't. I moved on. To the living." Buffy said as she and Paige head for Xander and Willow. Passes Cordelia, who appears to have overheard the exchange.

"What's wrong with Angel?" Willow asked.

"Beats me." Buffy said.

The band starts playing. Buffy looks over at Angel, still hovering about in the back. She grabs a random guy's hand as Paige grabs Xander's hand.

"Let's dance." Buffy and Paige said.

"Uh, uh..." Xander said looking at Paige. He looked back at Willow as if to say maybe your right.

Paige and Buffy lead Xander and the guy out on the floor and they start to dance.

Paige and Buffy's moves are a little too close, a little too hot. It's pure bad girl, and Xander don't know whether to be suspicious, aroused, or panicked.

The guy smiled at Buffy, he definitely had no qualms about dancing this way.

Xander looked at Paige a little upset as she smiled at him.

"Xander, did I ever thank you for saving my life?" Paige asked.

"No." Xander said.

Paige brings her body up against his - is she gonna kiss him? - then whispers in his ear, "Don't you wish I would?"

And with that, she and Buffy leave. Leaves the floor, leaves The Bronze, leaves a wake of unhappiness behind them.

When they are about twenty feet out they hear Cordelia yell their names.

"Buffy. Paige." Cordelia said as they stop and turn to face Cordelia as she steps out of The Bronze. "You two are really campaigning for bitch of the year, aren't you?"

"As defending champion, are you nervous?" Buffy asked.

"I can hold my own." Cordelia steps forward. "We've never been close, Buffy, Paige, which is nice, 'cause I don't like either of you very much. But you both have, on occasion, saved the world and all that stuff, so I'm gonna do you both a favor."

"Joyous us." Paige said.

"Your friends and your sister, Dawn, can't do it, 'cause they like the both of you. And they're sort of afraid of the both of you." Cordelia said.

"What's the favor?" Buffy asked.

"I'm going to give you some advice. Get over it." Cordelia said.

"Excuse us?" Paige asked.

"Whatever's causing the Joan Collins 'tude, deal with it, embrace the pain, spank your inner moppet but get over it, 'cause pretty soon you both won't even have the loser friends you've got now." Cordelia said.

"I'd say it's about time for you to mind your own business." Buffy said.

"It's long past. Nighty night." Cordelia said as she watches the sisters go. "I'll just go see if Angel or maybe if I'm desperate Xander feels like dancing."

Later Buffy and Paige enter the graveyard where Willow said the Master was buried from the street. They are lost in thought, wandering seemingly aimlessly.

They see the tree that Willow said the Master was buried under and they head toward it. As they near it they slow down. Their expression changes - or rather sets, like concrete as they stop.

The Master's grave is… Empty!

Paige and Buffy try very hard to stay controlled. They take but one faltering step back. They spin thinking something, or someone is beside them. But there is no one there. They look back at the grave, shaking, whispering to themselves the same mantra.

"He's dead, he's dead... he's dead..."

The next morning Buffy and Paige are sitting in the back seat of Joyce's car, silent and sullen. Dawn is in the passenger seat next to Joyce in front.

Joyce looks at her eldest daughters in the rear view mirror, "How are your new classes."

"Good." Buffy and Paige said, not looking at Joyce.

Dawn smiled, "Pretty good."

"Good." Joyce said. "Is there the slightest chance that if I asked you two what was wrong, you'd tell me?" That actually gets Paige and Buffy to look at Joyce, though they say nothing. "Of course not. That would take all the fun out of guessing."

Dawn sighed, "They hardly talk to me anymore, Mom. And we used to share everything."

In the school lounge Willow and Xander are talking to Giles.

"They're possessed!" Willow said.

"Possessed?" Giles asked.

"It's the only explanation that makes any sense. You should have seen Buffy and Paige last night. That wasn't Buffy and Paige.

Xander sighed and nodded in agreement, "They're possessed. Way Paige danced with me last night was like she was a completely different person. Then she asked me about saving her life and wanted to know if she had ever thanked me. When I said no she was like don't you wish I would. Then she and Buffy both just walked off. They're possessed."

"Possessed by what?" Giles asked.

"A possessing thing!" Willow said, excitedly.

"Well, that narrows it down." Giles said.

Xander nodded, "You're the expert. Maybe when the Master killed them, some mystical bad guy transference happened."

"That's what it was." Willow said. "Why else would they be acting like such a B. I. T. C. H.?"

"Willow, we're all a little old to be spelling things out." Giles said.

"A bitkha?" Xander said, trying to work it out.

"I suggest the explanation for their behavior may be somewhat more mundane." Giles said.

Second bell rings, most kids filtering off towards classes.

"They may simply have what you Americans refer to as 'issues'. Their experience with the Master must have been extremely traumatic. They were, for at least a few minutes, legally dead. I don't think they've dealt with it on a conscious level. It's too painful. They've convinced themselves that they're invulnerable for the very reason that they feel –"

Xander notices Paige and Buffy coming up behind Giles and hastily interrupts: "That's a very interesting point about trout! That you made just now."

"Trout?" Giles said, confused before he sees Buffy, Paige and Dawn. "Trout! Yes! The trout... is a fish. Good morning! Did you both sleep well?"

"Like a rock. The Master's gone." Buffy said.

"I'm sorry?" Giles asked.

"The Master. We went by his grave last night and they have a vacancy." Paige said.

"Good god." Giles said.

"What would somebody want with Master bones?" Willow asked.

"Trophy? Horrible conversation piece?" Xander asked.

"They're gonna bring him back." Buffy said as she and Paige stares at Giles. "They're gonna bring the Master back to life and I seem to recall you telling us he was history."

"Buffy, Paige, I've never heard of a revivification ritual being successful –"

"But you've heard of them. Thanks for the warning." Paige said.

"I would love to see which text you got that information from." Dawn said. "I didn't know there was such a ritual. And I've been researching this stuff since Buffy was approached by Merrick."

"Buffy, Giles did bury him in hallowed –" Willow said.

"This is Slayer stuff, okay? Can we have less from the civilians, please?" Buffy said as she glared at Willow.

"Okay, that's just about –" Xander said.

Snyder appears beside them, preempting Xander's tirade with: "I believe that some of us have classes. And some of us have jobs."

"I'll see you all in the library after school. And we can finish our discussion." Giles said.

Willow nodded, "About trout."

The kids disperse, Buffy and Paige giving Giles one final look.

"There's some things I can just smell. It's like a sixth sense." Snyder said.

"No, actually, that would be one of the five." Giles said.

"The elder two Summers girls? I smell trouble. I smell expulsion. And just the faintest aroma of jail."

"Well, before you throw away the key, perhaps you'd consider giving them the benefit of the doubt. They may surprise you." Giles said before thinking to himself. 'And if Paige were to ever go evil. Curse you.'

Snyder looks him over for a beat. "You really have faith in those kids, don't you?"

Giles nodded, "Yes, I do."

"Weird." Snyder said before he walks off, leaving Giles alone.

That evening in the library the sun is just fading as the group researches. Giles crosses to the center of the room, book in hand.

"All right, I've got something. It's latin, so bear with me. Um, to revive the vampire, they need his bones," Giles said as he sheepishly looked at Paige and Buffy, "which they have... and, uh, the blood... this is very unclear... of the closest person, someone connected to the vampire."

"That'd be me and Paige." Buffy said.

"Perhaps..." Giles said.

"We were very close. Way close. We killed each other, okay? It really promotes togetherness." Paige said.

"Well, is there anything on WHEN the ceremony might take –" Xander said as he looked at his girlfriend with concern.

A rock smashes through the window behind Xander's head. He ducks – everyone except Paige and Dawn is alarmed. Buffy looks to Paige who holds out her hand calling for the rock.

Wrapped around it is Cordelia's necklace, and a note.

"This is Cordelia's." Paige said.

Everyone looks at each other. Buffy takes the note, opens it. It reads: "'Come to the Bronze before it opens, or we make her a meal'."

"They're gonna cook her dinner?" Xander said. "Please pretend I didn't ask that."

"What do we do?" Willow asked.

"Paige and I go to the Bronze and save the day." Buffy said.

"I don't like this." Xander said.

"Nor I." Giles said.

"Well, you guys aren't going." Paige said.

"What do you mean?" Willow asked.

Dawn looked to her sisters with confusion.

"We can't be looking out for you four while we're fighting." Buffy said. "In fact Paige orb Dawn home and then meet me at the Bronze."

"What about the rest of the note?" Willow asked.

Paige looks over the note still in Buffy's hand, "What rest?"

"The part where it says, 'PS this is a trap'?" Willow said.

"You'll be playing right into their hands." Giles said.

"And their hands are gonna get slapped." Buffy said.

"We should at least go in force. Stock up stakes." Xander said.

"Buffy and I can handle it." Paige snapped at Xander.

Xander looked to his girlfriend and frowned.

"Stop saying that! God, what's wrong with you two?" Willow said.

Xander nodded, "Cordelia may be dead."

Buffy stops, looking at them. "This is our fight." She takes off

Paige walks over to Dawn and holds out her hand. Dawn sighs standing up grabbing her bag before she orbed out.

Later in the alley by the Bronze Angel approaches from behind.

Buffy turns to him, exasperated. "You know, being stalked isn't really a big turn-on for girls."

"You need help. Someone to watch your back." Angel said.

"You sure you don't mean my neck?" Buffy asked.

Angel sighed, "Why are you riding me?"

"Because I don't trust you. You're a vampire. Or is that an offensive term? Should I say 'undead American'?" Buffy said.

"You have to trust someone. You can't do this alone." Angel said.

Paige orbs in next to Buffy.

"I trust me and Paige." Buffy said.

"You two are not as strong as you think." Angel said.

"You think you could take us?" Paige asked.

"What?" Angel asked.

Buffy smiled, "Come on, you must have wondered... a vampire, the Slayer, a witch, I know you've thought about it. If it came down to a fight... could you take us? Why don't we find out?"

"I'm not gonna fight you." Angel said.

"No? Big strong vampire like yourself?" Paige said.

"Buffy... Paige…" Angel said.

"Come on. Kick our asses." Buffy said.

The smile in Buffy and Paige's eyes is tending toward the crazed.

Angel growls, low.

"Now we get to see who we're really dealing with." Paige said.

Angel stops, controlling himself. "Don't you two have somewhere to be?"

Paige and Buffy looked at each other and remembered Cordelia. Hiding a flash of guilt, Buffy replied. "We do."

"Well, you both are wasting time." Angel said.

Buffy and Paige look to the Bronze, back to him.

"Just stay out of our way." Paige said.

"Happy to oblige." Angel said as he watched Buffy and Paige head for the door to the Bronze. After a beat, he follows.

Buffy and Paige enters the Bronze, walking slowly, looking about them. Not as confident as they were around the others. They each pull out a stake as they walk. They hear crying and looks near the stage and find a girl huddled on her knees, back to Paige and Buffy, and wearing Cordelia's coat. Their eyes narrow suspiciously as they take a slow step forward.

Behind them Angel takes a step forward.

"That's not Cordelia." Buffy said.

The figure rises and no, it's not Cordelia. It's a grinning vampire. Female, yes, but definitely not Cordelia. She laughs, turns to Buffy and Paige.

"Cordelia... she didn't come..."

"Where is she?" Paige asked.

"I'm not supposed to tell..."

"I don't like this." Angel said.

Buffy frowned, "What?"

"There's the bait. Where's the hook?" Angel said looking around.

Buffy and Paige look around - and the vampire jumps Buffy!

Paige takes a step to the side as Buffy instinctively rolls, flips the vampire over. Comes up onto her feet and steps on the vampire's neck. She and Paige look around some more.

"You're right. Why would they send just one?" Paige said.

At the library Willow and Xander talk as Giles continues to puzzle over his books.

"I still think we should have gone with them." Willow said.

"I hate saying this about my girlfriend and her sister. But Buffy and Paige are about to lose it. I think we should be trying to reach minimum safe distance." Xander said.

"Xander, you know it was a trap!" Willow said.

"Aha! This Latin is translated from the Sumerian, and rather badly, which makes it difficult. But the person closest to the Master actually translates as the nearest - physically. The person or persons who..." Giles realizes what he's saying when he says it. "...were with him when..."

"When what?" Willow asked.

Giles looks at the two of them, dead certainty on his face. "It IS a trap it just isn't for them."

At the Bronze Paige and Buffy have just finished tying the vampire's hands behind her back with Angel's belt. Buffy hands her off to him. "Watch her. Don't kill her if you don't have to."

"Buffy, what's going on?" Angel asked.

"We'll be back." Paige said as she took Buffy's hand and orbed out and into the library. She lets go of Buffy's hand as she spots… "Xander?"

Paige runs over to her boyfriend as he is struggling to get up. He is beaten and bloody. Buffy comes up behind them.

"Where are the others? What happened?" Buffy asked.

Paige moves to help him up, but he violently shakes off her hand.

"Vampires. The ones you two could handle yourselves." Xander said.

"Where did they take Giles and –" Buffy said.

"I don't know! I don't know what either of your problem are - what your 'issues' are, and as of now I officially don't care! If you'd worked with us for five seconds you both could have stopped this." Xander said.

Buffy takes the words hard - she knows he's right.

Paige takes his words even harder. She looks at her boyfriend and sure he is about to break up with her.

"We have to think. Why did they take them?" Buffy said.

"If they hurt Willow I'm gonna kill you both." Xander said.

"Why did they take them and not you?" Buffy said.

"Giles said the ritual was, um... they needed people close to the Master... physically close, when he..." Xander said.

"The ones who were with him when he died." Paige said as she looked at Xander, tears in her eyes.

"Giles, Willow... Cordelia." Xander said.

Buffy nodded, "And Ms. Calendar."

"Odds are, they've got the complete set by now." Xander said. He looked to Paige and sighed. He still loved her despite the problems they were having right now. He reaches up to wipe a tear from her face.

"We just have to find out where." Buffy said.

"How?" Xander asked.

Moments later they are at the Bronze as Paige, Xander and Angel stand watch Buffy and the vampire.

The vampires hands are still tied behind her back, and she lands hard from a kick by Buffy.

"One more time." Buffy hauls the vampire up. "Where are they?"

"You're too late. Your friends are dead."

"Tell us where they are." Paige said.

"What are you gonna do, kill me?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." Buffy punches the vampire in the face. She flies back, landing on top of the pool table. Buffy comes around the table, calmly unhooking her Caroligian cross necklace. She holds it above the vampire's face and as the vampire moans in pain, Buffy drops the necklace into the vampire's mouth. Clamps it shut with her hands.

Angel looked to Paige, "I know now is not the time for this. But that's not the cross I gave you."

The vampire writhes, smoke pouring out of her mouth.

"But since I'm not gonna kill you any time soon, the question becomes, how do we pass the time till then?" Buffy said.

Paige nodded, "Buffy, Dawn and I wear Carolingian crosses. They were a gift from our mother when Buffy and I were twelve. They represent us. Each part of the cross is made up of a triquetra. Mom said when she gave them to us and Dawn that it signified us, three sisters."

Buffy pulls the cross out by the chain. "So. One more time."

At the Factory Cordelia is tending to a unconscious Jenny. The door opens, She starts back as a big vampire enters. "Please... go away... what do you –"

The vampire slugs her, knocking her cold. Starts dragging both women up the stairs.

The Anointed One walks past the old, rusted surgical table in the middle of the room. He holds a goblet in his hands. On the table is the Master's skeleton laid out on it. He reaches the head of the table, and Absalom, who wears a black ceremonial robe.

The Anointed One hands him the goblet. Absalom looks up at the balcony where two vampires start hauling on a chain.

Cordelia, Giles, Willow and Jenny are hung upside down on meathooks attached to the chain. They are all unconscious as they are positioned directly above the Master's skeleton.

Absalom dips his finger in the goblet. Goes to the first body - Willow - and makes a small 'x' on her forehead.

The other vampires from a semi-circle around the side of the table as Absalom continues on to each boy, repeating the ritual.

Under the Balcony Paige, Buffy, Xander and Angel orb in. The four of them creep along in the dark until they can see the center of the room.

They see the skeleton laid out on the table. Above it, their four friends. The vampires in a semi-circle, six quietly chanting figures. Absalom and the Anointed One at the head.

Paige and Buffy can't move. Their eyes widen with fear and remorse.

The Anointed One produces a curved knife, hands it to Absalom, who says a silent prayer over it.

"Buffy. Buffy!" Angel whispered.

"Paige, Paige!" Xander whispered.

Buffy and Paige snap out of, looks at the two men.

"We gotta do something now." Xander said.

"You two get the others out of here." Buffy said.

Angel nodded, "We'll need you two to distract the vampires."

"Right." Paige said as she and Buffy start toward the ceremony.

"What are you gonna do?" Xander asked.

Buffy and Paige stop and turn back to them.

"We're gonna kill them all." Buffy said as she and Paige turn and walk away. "That oughta distract them."

Absalom finishes his prayer, kisses the knife. "For the Old Ones, for his pain. For the Dark."

They repeat it solemnly, one after the other.

"For the Dark."

Absalom brings the knife to the first throat - that of Willow.

"For the Dark."

"For the - GYEHNNNNGH!" A vampire said as he eyes popped wide as the tip of a stake pops out of his chest. He gasps for a moment, then he explodes into dust, revealing Paige and Buffy right behind him.

Absalom screams, an inhuman shriek that galvanizes the vampires into action. They effectively flank Buffy and Paige, and two of the vampires rush them simultaneously.

Buffy and Paige roundhouses them both in the jaw, staggering them back as the third gets Buffy from behind but she elbows him in the throat.

They are trying to surround the sisters - full frontal assault hasn't paid off. Buffy and Paige dodges about the boxes and machines, quick and alert.

Absalom sees Buffy and Paige are occupied. Roughly grabs Willow's face, brings the knife to her throat when the Cordelia, Giles, Willow and Jenny start moving away, towards the balcony.

On the balcony Xander and Angel are hauling on the chain that holds the bodies, pulling them closer.

"The sacrifices! Stop them!" Absalom yells.

A vampires peels off upstairs, leaving Buffy and Paige with the other two.

Buffy and Paige are on one side of a pile of boxes, a vampire, Jane, behind them, another vampire, Bob, on the other side of the boxes. Buffy kicks Jane sending her sprawling, then jumps, grabbing the top box and flipping herself over the pile, landing on her feet - and still holding the box, she brings it over her head and smashes it smashes it over the Bob's head.

The guy's effectively wearing a box helmet. Buffy powers out a side kick to the face, smashing through the box to it hit. Bob flies back into the corner. Buffy pulls out a stake and quickly dusts Bob.

Jane slams into Paige and they both go down.

Xander and Angel pull the bodies to the safety of the Balcony. Jenny and Cordelia are lying nearby as they pull the third one off. It's Giles, who's just starting to waken.

The third vampire, Ned, crests the stairs - and Angel turns. Ned charges - Angel throws himself at him. They grapple, stepping onto some rotted boards covering a hole. It breaks, the two of them falling down to the lower level.

Paige is under Jane, struggling to keep her from biting her. Her hand sweeps the floor, coming up with a box shard. She slams it into her back, pushing her off right before she's dusted.

Ned shoves a shard of wood at Angel's heart - Angel grabs it and shoves harder, sending it backwards through Ned's heart as he dusts.

Xander gets Willow, the last one, off the chain. A dazed Giles is helping Jenny.

"Are you all right?" Giles asked.

Jenny nodded, "I think so. My head..."

"Where's Buffy and Paige?" Giles asked Xander.

Xander looks down at Buffy and Paige who are approaching Absalom. "They're working out their issues."

Absalom holds a sledgehammer, "Your day is done, girls. I'll grind you both into a sticky paste. And I'll hear you beg before I smash in your faces."

Buffy looked to Paige who nodded and held out a stake in her hand.

"So, are you gonna kill us? Or are you just making small talk?" Buffy said.

That tears it. Absalom rushes them, swinging back the hammer. Paige flips the stake and with precise aim sends it flying straight into Absalom's heart. He reels back as he dusts.

The sledgehammer drops to the ground in front of Buffy and Paige. The sisters take a moment, breathing hard. Quiet in victory. They look at the Master's bones as their expression changes. Buffy picks up the sledgehammer.

Giles, Willow, Angel, Xander, Jenny and Cordelia watch from above. Xander helps Willow to her feet.

"It's over." Willow said.

Xander shook his head, "No, it's not."

Buffy and Paige approach the table, the Master's bones laid out before them. They stare at it quietly for a moment, then Buffy swings the sledgehammer and smashes the skull in. She and Paige take turns swinging the sledgehammer, smashing the Master to powder, the grunts of their efforts rising to a roar, still they swing it, again, again, out of control—

Angel and Xander approaches, slowly. They touché each of the sisters shoulders and they stop. Paige who was the last to have the hammer, drops it. Both of the sisters are shaking. They start crying just before Angel folds Buffy into his arms and Xander folds Paige into his.

"It's okay... it's okay..." Angel and Xander said to the sisters.

The next morning in the palm court amidst the bustle, Cordelia and Jenny walk together.

"What an ordeal. And you know the worst part: It stays with you forever. No matter what they tell you, none of that rust and blood and grime comes out. You can dry-clean till judgment day; you're living with those stains." Cordelia said.

"Yes. That's the worst part of being hung upside down by a vampire that wants to slit your throat. The stains," Jenny dead panned.

"I hear you." Cordelia said.

Buffy and Paige are walking with Dawn and Giles a little ways from Cordelia and Jenny. The swagger has gone out of their step a bit.

"I don't think I can face them." Buffy said.

"Ditto." Paige said.

Dawn smiled, "Of course you can."

Buffy shook her head, "We can't! What are I gonna say? 'Sorry we almost got your throats cut. What's the homework?'"

"Punishing yourself like this is pointless." Giles said.

"It's entirely pointy! We were morons. We put our best friends in mortal danger - on the second day of school!" Paige said.

Giles nodded, "What are you two going to do, crawl into a dark cave for the rest of your lives?"

"Would it have cable?" Buffy asked.

Giles stops, turns to the sisters. "Buffy, Paige, you two acted wrongly, I admit, but believe me, that was hardly the worst mistake either of you will ever make. That wasn't nearly as comforting as it was meant to be."

Dawn smiled, "At least you tried."

"Dawn's right, points for effort. We'll see you." Buffy said.

The elder sisters hug their baby sister close to them for a moment. Later that evening they would have to do something to make up to Dawn how they had treated her the last couple months.

Buffy and Paige then head inside leaving Dawn and Giles standing there..

"Do you think they will be alright?" Dawn asked.

Giles looked to the youngest Summers and nodded, "I do. It will take time. But at least now their trying to move forward."

Inside a classroom Buffy and Paige slowly makes their way to the back row, where Willow and Xander sit, talking. The seats next to Willow and Xander are empty. Hesitantly, Buffy and Paige approach them.

Willow turns and looks up at them. "Buffy. Paige."

"Hey." Buffy and Paige said.

"We saved you both a seat..." Willow said.

Buffy and Paige smile gratefully as they sit down.

Xander leans over to say: "There's a rumor going around that Mr. Cox is the most boring teacher in the entire world. Like I think he won a belt or something."

"Lucky us." Paige said.

"Well, I hear he nods off a lot, so that's a plus." Willow added.

"So, are we bronzing tonight?" Xander asked as he looked at Paige and he smiled.

Paige smiled back at Xander thinking maybe her relationship with Xander wasn't on the rocks after all.

"Wednesdays it's kind of beat." Willow said.

"Well, we could grind our enemies into talcum powder with a sledgehammer, but, gosh, we did that last night." Xander said.

Paige and Buffy laughs, relaxing.

Paige leaned in to Xander and kissed him on the cheek, "Thank you."

"For what?" Xander asked.

"For saving my life," Paige said.

"Anytime, Paige. Anytime." Xander replied.

* * *

** Author's Note:** I recently acquired several novelizations of episodes of Buffy and as a result I have gone in and edited Welcome to the Hellmouth and Harvest filling in details that the script did not go into detail about.


	9. Chapter 9: School Hard

**Chapter 9: School Hard**

"A lot of educators tell students: 'think of your principal as your "pal".' I say think of me as your judge, jury and executioner." Snyder said. "Tell me, who do you think is the most troublesome student in this school?"

Sheila studies Snyder, pops her gum, and jerks her head to the right, indicating Paige and Buffy whom are sitting next to her.

Snyder smiles at the girls. "Well, it is quite a match between you three." He opens three thick files on his desk. "On the one hand, Buffy and Paige haven't stabbed a horticulture teacher with a trowel, yet."

"I never stabbed anyone with a trowel!" Sheila stabs the file in front of Snyder with her finger, he involuntarily edges back. "It was pruning shears. It should say pruning shears."

"On the other hand, Sheila's never burned down a school building." Snyder said looking at Buffy and Paige.

"That was never proved… the fire marshal said it could have been… mice…" Buffy said as Paige nodded in agreement.

"Mice?" Snyder asked.

"Mice that were smoking?" Paige said.

Snyder looks down at the files, "And the three of you seem to be tied in the class-cutting and fight-starting events. You're really neck and neck here. It's very exciting."

"What does the winner get?" Sheila asked.

"Expelled." Snyder said, matter-of-factly as this registers with Paige and Buffy. Less so with Sheila. "This Thursday is parent teacher night. Your parents –" he looks to Paige and Buffy "– assuming you two have any - will meet your teachers –" he looks to Sheila "– assuming you have any left. I have decided to put you three in charge of this event. You have three days to prepare the refreshments, make the banners, and transform the school lounge into a habitable place for adults. This will incur my goodwill, and may even affect what I tell your parents when I meet them. Are we clear?"

"We're clear." Buffy and Paige said.

"Don't you feel clear?" Buffy asked Sheila. She turned back to Snyder. "We're very clear."

"Good. Because you mess up this time, and your parents will be coming to clean out your lockers." Snyder said.

Later after school Paige and Buffy walks with Sheila as Dawn, Xander and Willow approach.

"It really shouldn't be that hard. We'll work on banners tomorrow at lunch and we can figure out refreshments then." Buffy said.

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Sheila calls out to an older, slovenly, tattooed guy. "Hey, Meatpie! Wait up!" And she's off, Xander and Willow watching her go.

"Heard Snyder's got you guys making party favors." Xander said.

Paige sighed, "Yeah, his three worst students. When our Mom looks at me and Buffy, that's what she sees. A Sheila. These days Dawn is her favorite."

"Sheila's definitely intense. That guy with her? That's the one she CAN bring home to her mother." Xander said.

"She smoked when we were in fifth grade. Once I was lookout for her." Willow said.

Xander smiled at Willow, "You're bad to the bone."

"I'm a rebel." Willow said, excitedly.

Buffy shook her head, "It's just not fair. I'm the Slayer, and Paige is a witch, which requires a certain amount of fighting and cutting. What's Sheila's excuse?"

"Homework. She won't do it. And most of the teachers respect that now. You'll probably want to keep her away from sharp implements while you're working." Xander said.

"Do you think any of the other Slayers ever had to go to high school?" Buffy asked.

"Hey, it's no biggie. You and Paige will put on a nice little affair. The parents'll love it. As long as nothing really bad comes along between now and then, you'll both be fine."

All four girls turn on him, appalled.

"Are you nuts? What'd you say that for? Now something bad is gonna happen!" Paige said.

"What do you mean? Nothing is gonna happen!" Xander said.

"Not until some dummy says 'As long as nothing bad happens…'" Dawn said.

Buffy nodded, "That's like the ultimate jinx!"

"What were you thinking? Or were you even thinking?" Willow said.

"Well, you don't know. Maybe this time is different." Xander said, defensively.

That evening at the Summers' house in Buffy and Paige's room.

"Ow!" Buffy said.

Buffy and Paige's dressed for bed as Paige brushes tangles out of Buffy's hair. Joyce appears in the doorway.

"What's wrong?" Joyce asked.

"I'm trying to be careful." Paige said.

"I spent half my allowance on that new cream rinse and it's neither creamy nor rinsey." Buffy said.

Paige rolled her eyes, "I told her it was a bad idea to buy that stuff."

"Life is hard, dear." Joyce said.

"Don't I know it. Look at these split ends!" Buffy said.

"I got the mail." Joyce said.

"Oh good," Paige said looking at her sister.

"Which included a reminder notice about parent teacher night Thursday." Joyce said.

"Oh less good." Buffy said looking over her shoulder at Paige.

"Which Dawn told me about two weeks ago." Joyce said. "But neither of you mentioned it. Were you two planning on telling me about it…?"

"For the last two weeks. We've been working up our nerve." Paige said.

"Uh huh. So what do you think your teachers will tell me about you two?" Joyce asked.

"Well… I… think they'd all agree we always bring a pen to class, ready to absorb the knowledge." Buffy said.

"And this absorption rate, how is it reflected in your homework and test scores?" Joyce asked.

Paige smiled, innocently, "What can you really tell about a person from a test score?"

"Whether or not they're ever going out with their friends again." Joyce said.

"Oh that." Buffy said with a sigh.

Joyce nodded, "What about your principal?"

"He put us in charge of the banners and refreshments for the whole evening. If that's not a sign of respect I don't know what is." Paige said, though she knew Snyder didn't respect her or Buffy in the least.

"I look forward to meeting him." Joyce said.

"Won't that be something," Buffy said.

"Look, sweetheart, life is more than grades and test scores and not getting kicked out of school." Joyce said.

"You are so right." Paige said.

Joyce nodded, "But we moved once because of you two getting in trouble. And I had to start a new business - not to mention a new life - in a whole new town."

"And you don't want to do that again." Buffy said.

Joyce smiled, "What I don't want is to be disappointed in you two again."

"Mom, believe me, that's the last thing Buffy or I want, too. We're trying; we've just got a lot of… pressure right now." Paige said.

"Wait till you have a job." Joyce gives Buffy and then Paige a little kiss on the head. "Sleep tight." She heads back out the door.

Paige tries one more tangle of Buffy's hair, tugs and then opens a drawer to drop the brush in, sees the vampire stake in the drawer.

"We have a job." Paige and Buffy said.

The next morning in the student lounge Buffy and Paige have a couple big banners laid out over two long tables. Willow is helping Buffy paint "WELCOME PARENTS" on it. Xander is helping Paige paint "PARENT TEACHER NIGHT" on the other banner. Dawn sits in a chair reading.

"Sheila's a no show?" Willow asked as the sisters nod. "She goes to this really rank bar, the Fish Tank, sometimes they have raids and… other things that could make you tardy."

"Can you help me cram some French tonight? I don't want Mr. DeJean telling my mother I'm an imbecile!"

"I thought we were going to the Bronze tonight. 'Cause of how you thought Angel might show." Willow said.

"If he does he'll meet some other nice girl. Studying comes first." Xander said.

"We're going to the Bronze. Buffy and I can study and party and do parent teacher night and make our mother proud as long as we don't have to…" Paige said as she sees Giles and Jenny coming; and she deflates "…fight vampires."

"There's nothing in the Chronicles about an extraneous lunar cycle." Giles said.

"The Order never accurately calculated the Mesopotamian calendar! Rupert, you have to read something that was published AFTER 1066." Jenny said, shaking her head.

"What's the up, guys?" Xander asked.

"I don't suppose this is something about happy squirrels?" Buffy asked, knowing it wasn't.

"Vampires," Giles said.

Buffy looked to Paige and sighed, "That was my next guess."

"Ms. Calendar has been researching - surfing on her computer. According to her calendar, this Saturday is the Night of Saint Vigeous." Giles said.

"Lemme guess. He didn't make balloon animals." Paige said.

Dawn rolled her eyes, "Let me see if I remember this right. He led a crusade. Of vampires. They swept through Edessa, Harran, and points east. They didn't leave much behind."

"That's the essentials, yes." Giles looked to Dawn. He was always proud of her at how much she knew.

"So Saturday's kind of a big doo for bloodsuckers." Xander said.

"It's a Holy Night of Attack. They'll come in numbers." Jenny said.

"If Buffy and I survive parent teacher night tomorrow…" Paige nods at banner. "…We'll see what we can do about Saturday."

"You're being a tad flip, don't you think? This is serious." Giles said.

"And being kicked out of school is laughs aplenty?" Buffy said.

"You know what happens when you two let your life interfere with your slaying." Giles said.

"Yes, we found that out the last time Buffy had a date, back in the Restoration era." Paige said. "But Xander and I have been making it work. Except when I was denying the grief I felt."

"And I still love you," Xander said.

"You both just need to keep the two things separate." Giles said.

"Yes, well, if our slaying doesn't get us expelled, I promise our banner making won't get us killed. Just let us get through the week." Buffy said.

"Saturday will require a great deal of preparation." Giles said.

"Well, we'll help." Willow said.

"Yeah! I can whittle stakes!" Xander said.

"And Willow and I can research." Dawn said.

"While I'm whittling, I plan to whistle a jaunty tune." Xander said.

Giles nodded, "Your help will be appreciated. But when it comes to battle, Buffy and Paige must be prepared to fight alone. You are, after all, a slay-" He sees Snyder approaching, quickly adjusts: "slay…ve. Slave. You're all slaves to the… television. You young people nowadays. Goodbye." He and Jenny take off.

Snyder turns to Dawn, Xander and Willow. "You wouldn't be helping Buffy and Paige in Sheila's place would you?"

Xander hides the brush behind back, "No."

"We're hindering." Willow said.

Dawn nodded, "I'm just sitting here reading."

"She ditched. Mmm-mmmm, I feel an expulsion coming on." Snyder said.

Buffy looked to Paige, "She's been helping for hours. She's just out getting more paint…" She and Paige follows Snyder's gaze to the door as Sheila stumbles through in last night's party dress, dark glasses: Marilyn Monroe after a hard night Kennedying. Buffy rushes to Sheila, guides her to Xander and Paige's banner, "No more teal in the art room? I know you wanted it to be perfect, but let's just keep going with the green." She plops (Xander's) brush in Sheila's hand.

"Just make sure everything is perfect on Thursday." Snyder said as he goes off towards his office.

"Thanks for covering. Guy's a serious rodent." Sheila said.

"No problem." Paige said.

"Did you two really burn down school property one time?" Sheila asked.

"Well, not actually ONE time…" Buffy said.

"Cool." Sheila said, smiling.

"But we didn't feel good about it or anything. I mean, we don't condone… So. We're gonna Bronze it tonight, if you wanted to come." Paige said.

"I can't go there. You threaten one bartender with a broken bottle and they like ban you for life." Sheila snorts.

"Ahhh." Buffy and Paige said.

That evening Paige, Buffy and Willow sat a table at the Bronze.

Buffy thinks hard, composing a sentence. Willow's got a French book. "La vache doit me touche de la jeudi." Willow and Paige shook their heads. "Is that wrong? Should I use the plural?"

"No, but… you just said that 'the cow should touch me from Thursday'." Willow said.

Buffy sighed, "Well, maybe that's what I was feeling."

"And you said it wrong." Paige said. Like their baby sister Paige seemed to have a talent for languages, though not to the level Dawn had. Dawn could read and speak two languages and was starting on her third with Giles who was teaching her Sumerian.

"Oh. Je stink." Buffy said.

Willow nodded, "You're just not focused. It's Angel missage."

"Well he didn't say for sure, it was a maybe see you there kind of deal." Buffy said.

Xander comes off the dance floor. "Guys! I'm all alone out there! Somebody has to dance with me." He looked to Paige.

"Well, we are studying…" Willow replied holding up the book.

"Come on, Paige, one dance! You've been studying with Willow and Buffy for nearly twelve minutes!"

"No wonder my brain is fried." Buffy said.

They get up, hitting the floor as a fairly rocking song begins. The four of them dance together, Buffy occasionally repeating French phrases to herself.

"Where's a phone. I need to call the police. There's some big guy out back trying to bite someone."

Buffy and Paige look at each other and then they are gone in a flash.

Out back in the alley a girl backs away from a vampire. He gets his huge hand around her neck, closes in for a kill as Buffy slams down on his wrists breaking his hold.

"Slayer."

"Slay-ee." Buffy and Paige said smiling.

Buffy spin kicks him in the head. He takes it well, grabs her and hurls her against a wall. He charges, she ducks, pivots under his arm and away. Buffy, Paige and the vamp trade punches as Willow and Xander race out the back door.

"Get her out of here!" Paige said.

Buffy ducks a punch, kicks as Willow grabs the girl. Paige pulls out a stake.

Xander races back inside on the heels of Willow and the freaked girl.

The vamp swings and connects. Buffy and Paige go down. He looms over them. "I don't need to wait for Saint Vigeous. You're mine!" He comes at them, but Paige knocks him back.

Willow and Xander come running back out as Buffy and Paige stand back up.

"Spike, give me a hand."

Xander and Willow look around the dark alley: who's he talking to?

Paige sinks the stake into the vamp and he explodes into dust.

Spike applauds slowly, steps out of the darkness. Right next to Willow and Xander who both jump. "Nice work."

"Who are you?" Buffy asked.

"You'll find out on Saturday." Spike said, smiling.

"What happens on Saturday?" Paige asked.

"I kill the both of you." Spike smiles, slides back into the shadows and is gone.

Xander and Willow are wigged. So is Buffy and Paige.

Later at the library vamp books and diaries are laid out on the table. The gang is assembled: Dawn, Buffy, Giles, Willow, Xander and Jenny who is dragging a staggering amount of weaponry out of the book cage.

"Spike…" Giles said, "…that's what the other vampire called him?" Buffy and Paige nodded. "Sounds a little unorthodox."

"Maybe he's reform." Buffy said.

Giles thumbs through the diaries, "He may have gone by a different name in times past…"

"Whoever he is, we'll need all the help we can get come this Saturday." Jenny said.

Xander eyes 'The Attack of Saint Vigeous' engravings in one of the books. "This Night of Saint Vigeous deal, if they're gonna attack in force shouldn't we be thinkin': vacation?"

"We can't run, that would be wrong. Could we hide? I mean if that Spike Guy is leading the attack…" Willow shudders loudly. "…sorry, was that audible?"

"I'm sure he's no worse than any other creature you two have faced –" Giles said looking at Buffy and Paige.

"He's worse."

Angel is suddenly standing inside the doorway. Xander jumps.

"Angel." Buffy smiled.

"You know him?" Giles asked looking at Angel.

Instead of answering that directly, Angel said to Buffy. "Once he starts something he doesn't stop, until everything in his path is dead. Stay away."

"So he's thorough, goal oriented… okay, someone else lighten the mood." Xander said a little frightened.

"We were at the Bronze before. I thought you said you might show." Buffy said.

Paige and Dawn looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Talk about one track mind.

Angel shook his head, "You said you weren't sure if you were going."

"I was being cool. You been dating for what, two hundred years, you don't know what a girl means when she says maybe she'll show? Work with me here." Buffy said.

Angel gives Buffy a small smile.

"Wow, two centuries of dating. If you only had two a year that'd still be like four hundred dates with four hundred different–" Willow said before suddenly becoming interested in the weapons. "—why do they call it a mace?"

"Yes, well we've slightly more urgent things to discuss." Giles said.

Buffy turned away from Angel, "Like keeping our mom away from Principal Snyder tomorrow night."

"And not dying Saturday." Jenny said.

"Angel, do you know if this Spike fellow has any other names?" Giles looked up from the diaries. Angel is gone. They all look around.

"That's it, I'm puttin' a collar with a little bell on that guy." Xander said.

The next evening it is hectic in the library. Cordelia and Xander are sharpening stakes, Jenny and Willow sight arrows, tightening screws on the crossbow and other weapons. Paige and Buffy are in frantic preparation: chopping vegetables. They're laying out an impressive platter of crudités. They both have nice I'm-a-model-student dresses on.

"Do you think Sheila will show?" Sheila asked.

"I doubt it. She doesn't seem to care about getting kicked out – about anything. I sort of envy that." Buffy said.

"I don't think she's very happy." Willow said in agreement.

Giles and Dawn comes up to them books in hand. "For three nights the unholy ones scourge themselves into a fury, culminating in a savage attack on the Night of Saint Vigeous." Giles said.

"Anyone still remember when Saturday night meant date night?" Xander asked.

"You sure don't." Cordelia said witheringly.

Paige glances at a clock, "The parents start arriving in an hour. Okay, banners are in place, the lounge is comfy, what are we forgetting…?"

"Punch?" Willow asked.

Buffy nodded, "Punch! We need punch."

"The important thing in punch is the ratio of Vodka to Schnapps." Xander said as everyone stares at him. "That was obviously far too sophisticated a joke for this crowd."

Cordelia drops a stake, exhausted. "My fingers are cramping, how long have I been doing this?"

"Three minutes." Xander said.

"So can I go now? They're not gonna need that many stakes, I mean if this Spike guy's as mean as you all said, it should be over pretty fast." Cordelia said. "We're still rooting for you two Saturday. I'd be there myself but I've got a leg wax."

Paige and Buffy are up and on their way out. "You guys hold the fort. We're punch bound." Paige said as they head out the door.

Xander and Cordelia reach for some of the food Buffy has prepared.

Paige pokes her head back through the door, "No!"

Later in the student lounge, it looks clean. Extra chairs lined up. Pretty, freshly painted banners hung. Refreshments laid out. Willow joins Paige and Buffy, Buffy stirs the punch up.

"What kind of punch did you make?" Willow asked.

"Lemonade." Buffy said.

Willow takes a cup, pleased.

"We made it fresh and everything." Paige said, smiling.

"How much sugar did you two use?" Willow asked.

"Sugar?" Buffy said, worried.

"I knew there was something I forgot." Paige said.

Willow takes a sip. The catastrophic face she makes indicates a total lack of sugar. "It's very good…" She puts the cup down, still face making.

"Now if we can just keep our mother and Snyder from crossing paths for the next three hours…" Buffy said.

Willow sees Joyce walk through the doors behind Paige and Buffy, "Hi Mrs. Summers."

"Hi Willow." Joyce said. "Hi honeys. Did you both do all this?"

"We did. How 'bout some lemonade –" Paige said.

Behind Joyce, Buffy sees Snyder heading down the hall towards them.

"— after Willow shows you the library." Buffy said steering them away from Snyder. "We have to stay here and hostess."

"Yeah, the library - no, because Giles and everyone…" Willow said.

Paige nodded as she steered Joyce and Willow down another hall. "…are locked inside studying. French class it is."

Willow disappears with Joyce as Snyder walks up.

"Was that your mother?" Snyder asked the sisters.

"Oh hi. Yeah, we wanted to introduce you. She wouldn't have said too much, she doesn't speak a word of English." Buffy said.

Snyder gives the sisters a look, moves off to greet some parents, Buffy looks up at the clock on the wall it reads: 6:14

Later that evening at 8:45. Parents and teachers mingle. Dawn, Paige and Buffy stand near the refreshments keeping a wary eye out for their mother and Snyder.

Cordelia walks up, fuming. "Giles has us locked in that library working on your weapons. Even slaves get minimum wage." She stares at Buffy's skin.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"You're starting to look pretty slagged. What are you, just skipping foundation entirely now?" Cordelia asked.

"Cordelia, We have at least three lives to contend with and none of them really mesh. It's like oil and water and… a third unmeshable thing." Paige said in defense of her sister.

Cordelia nodded, "Yeah. And I can see the oil." She sees Willow and Joyce approaching. "Is that your mom? Now that's a woman who knows how to moisturize. Did it like skip a generation?"

"Well I believe I've seen every classroom on campus. And in each one your teachers had miraculously just stepped out." Joyce said.

Buffy shoots Willow a discreet thumbs up, she sees Snyder heading their way. "But you didn't see the boiler room. And that's really interesting because of the boiler being right there in the room and all –"

Joyce ignores Buffy's efforts and offers her hand to Snyder. "Hello. I'm Joyce Summers, Buffy, Paige and Dawn's mother.

"Principal Snyder. I'm afraid we need to talk. My office is down here." Snyder said.

Paige and Buffy deflates as they walk away.

"He didn't look very happy." Paige said and both of her sisters had to nod in agreement.

"When they're done talking…" Cordelia said.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"My guess? Tenth high school reunion? You two will still be grounded." Cordelia said looking to Paige and Buffy.

"Cordelia… have some punch." Willow said.

Later Willow and Dawn tries to console Buffy and Paige as Snyder and Joyce return. Neither Paige nor Buffy has to ask: Joyce looks at the sisters like she wishes Paige and Buffy were never born.

"In the car. Now." Joyce said. "You too, Dawn."

Snyder gives Paige and Buffy a "gotcha" look, starts flicking off hall lights. Paige and Buffy hangs their heads, moves off with her mom. Snyder, by the platform in front of the big picture window, flicks off that light as the huge window shatters and Spike crashes through it.

Pandemonium erupts, Snyder and others scream and run. Only Buffy, Paige and Dawn stand still as Spike locks eyes with them way across the room.

"What can I say? I couldn't wait." Spike said. He makes a beeline for the sisters. Buffy grabs a chair, swings it in a 360 and lets fly. It hits him solid in the head, knocking him back.

"Run!" Buffy, Paige and Dawn all but yell.

Buffy and Paige grab Joyce, drag her toward an exit. Where a vamp is blocking it. They pivot back toward the hall.

"They've got the exits, this way! Everybody, this way!" Paige said as they hustle their mother, Snyder, a parent, the two teachers and a student down the north hall towards the library.

Giles, Xander and Jenny fly out of the library doors, see them coming.

"It's Spike and a small army! Look out!" Paige shouts.

A vampire rounds the corner.

Buffy spots two more vampires closing from the hall that leads back toward the lounge. She, Paige and Dawn hustle their charges into the science classroom.

"In here! Go, go!" Buffy said.

Giles, Jenny and Xander hightail it back into the library, as a vampire pounds on the door.

Buffy locks the door behind her just as Snyder gets through the door of the science classroom.

"Barricade –" Dawn said.

Joyce and the others slide desks and cabinets in front of the door as Buffy, Paige and Dawn vault across the room and lock the door at the opposite end of the room. That's when the lights go out.

"Oh my god!" Snyder said.

Buffy, Paige and Dawn stands next to their mom, thinking hard about their next move. Snyder is losing his nerve. The two teachers, the parent and the student are freaked. They hear the vampires hurl their shoulders into the doors.

"Who are these people, what do they want?"

"I didn't get much of a look but, is there something wrong with their faces?" Joyce asked.

"Yes!" Snyder said as the sisters look at him. "P.C.P. It's a gang on P.C.P.! We've got to get out of here." He climbs up on a chair, claws at the metal slats on the windows.

Buffy moves to Snyder. Speaks softly but firmly. "You can't go outside. They'll kill you."

"YOU DON'T TELL ME, I TELL YOU!" Snyder yells at Buffy.

Buffy pulls him off the chair. Gets in his face. Never loses her cool: "They will kill everyone in this room. Nobody goes out. Nobody comes in. Until I say so. Do you read me?"

It's clear to everyone in the room that she knows what she's talking about. Snyder is not about to admit it. "Who do you think you are?"

"We're the one who knows how to stop them." Paige said as she points to herself and her sisters. She turns to Dawn, "Stay here with Mom. You're the last line of defense if they get in."

Dawn nodded and pats her hidden holster, "Will do."

Paige and Buffy turns to go. Joyce grabs them.

"Paige, Buffy are you two crazy? I know you've both been…" Joyce said. "…accused of fighting and other things but those guys are serious… you can't go out there."

"We know. That's why we're going up there." Buffy points up, puts a foot on a chair and jumps. She moves the ceiling tile aside, climbs into the cramped space above.

Paige jumps up and climbs up after Buffy. She looks back down. "Don't worry, Mom." They move out of sight of everyone in the classroom and then Paige grabs hold of Buffy and they orb into the library.

In the library Giles pockets several stakes, hefts a stabbing axe as he heads to the doors and peers through a piece of the little round window. He starts to pull a cabinet back from in front of the doors.

"What are you doing? There's at least three vampires in that hall and god knows how many others in the building." Jenny said.

"I'm the Watcher, I'm responsible for them, I have to go." Giles said.

Jenny puts her hand on his arm. "Be careful."

Giles looks at her hand for a beat, emotions churning, then grabs the cabinet. "Push them back the minute I'm –" Buffy and Paige orb in. "Buffy! Paige! You both are all right."

"How are the others?" Jenny asked.

Buffy is already loading her book bag with a throwing ax, stakes, etc. "Snyder, Dawn, our mom, and four others are locked in the science room across the hall. Cordelia and Willow ran the other way, I don't know if they're… where's Xander?"

"He got out through the stacks. He's getting Angel." Giles said.

"Good. After we take out the vamps in the hall you two can get Dawn, our mom and the others out that way, too." Paige said.

Buffy grabs the pack.

"I should go with you two and fight." Giles said.

"Giles, Dawn and our mother is in that classroom. While we know Dawn can protect herself since she has her wand. We would still feel better that should something happen and we don't make it, we know you'll make sure they do." Buffy said.

Giles nodded, "Bloody well right I will. What's your plan?"

"They split up to hold us here. So we can take 'em one on one. Set 'em up, knock 'em down." Buffy said.

Giles nodded, "Watch your backs…"

Paige and Buffy orb out.

In the science classroom Snyder paces, growing more feverish by the moment. The others look pretty freaked. Vampires outside are still pounding on the doors. Joyce and Dawn are trying to calm Snyder.

"Why don't you sit down…" Joyce said.

Snyder looks at Joyce with wild eyes. "This is my school. What I say goes. And I say this isn't happening."

"Well then I guess the danger is over." Dawn said sarcastically.

"I'm not waiting for them to break down the doors. I'm getting out." The parent said.

"Don't be an idiot!" Joyce replied.

"I'm beginning to see a certain mother-daughter resemblance." Snyder said.

Joyce nodded, "Oh yeah."

Snyder climbs up on a chair, starts pulling like crazy at the metal bands that covering the high windows.

"No! You heard what Buffy and Paige said –" Dawn said.

"She's a student, what does she know?" Snyder climbs up next to the parent, starts helping him yank on the metal.

A vampire outside hurls his shoulder against the door again. Moment later he starts chopping into the door with an ax.

Everyone except Dawn reacts to the new assault. Dawn distractedly keeps patting her hidden wand holster. The parent and Snyder have one metal band peeled off and now they get a second one. Just enough room to crawl out of the high window.

"I did it!" Snyder tries to get out. The parent pushes him aside - every man for himself - and lunges through first. He's a big guy, trying to squeeze himself through the little opening.

And suddenly the parent gets a big boost - from outside! "He's got me! Help! Help!"

And WHOOSH! he's gone. Right out the window. His horrible screams quickly fade to silence. Snyder jumps down, backing away as Joyce climbs up, pounds the metal back in place.

Buffy and Paige orb in behind the vampire that is taking an ax to the door. Buffy stakes him quicker and quieter than you can say WHOOSH! The sister then move to the door, their mother and Dawn see them through one of the ax holes.

"Buffy! Paige! Are you okay?" Joyce asked.

Buffy nodded as she spoke in a sotto voice, "We're fine, Mom."

"Paige, Buffy, get out of here! We'll be okay." Joyce said.

"Just hang on for one more minute, till we tell you to open the door." Paige said.

Buffy and Paige peers around the corner, looks down the hall. Another vampire is dutifully standing guard at the other door. They step back from the corner. They each select a sharp stake for his demise. They sense someone behind them and spins. It's Sheila, who's just come in from the outside door.

"Sheila! Where've you -?" Buffy asked.

"Sorry I'm late. There's some pretty weird guys outside…" Sheila said.

Paige nodded, "They're trying to kill us."

Sheila picks up fire ax. "This should be fun."

Paige and Buffy smiled as they turns away to look and Sheila stares at them with deadly contempt.

"Stay behind me." Buffy said as she and Paige snuck around the corner. Sheila dutifully close behind, ax at the ready. They see the vampire has his back to them. Buffy raises her stake to hurl, taking careful aim.

Sheila raises her ax high over her own shoulder. Aiming it at the back of Buffy's head.

"Paige! Buffy! Look out –" Giles calls out from the library window.

Sheila chops down. Buffy spins, grabs the ax handle under the blade stopping it inches from her pretty head.

The other vampire sees them now, runs full tilt for them.

Buffy pivots the ax head into Sheila's jaw. She goes down. Buffy spins, swinging the ax. The vampire ducks. The fire ax slices over his head, imbeds in the wall. He comes back up. Looking cocky. Until he looks down. Paige has already staked him and he explodes in dust.

Paige and Buffy turns to Sheila who growls and backs away, pure animal now. Buffy flips the stake in her hand and throws it dusting Sheila before she reaches the doors.

"Mom! Now!" Paige said.

Joyce unlocks and opens the axed door as Giles and Jenny open the library doors. Paige and Buffy ushers Dawn, Joyce, Snyder and the others into Giles' care.

"Get them out." Buffy said to Giles.

"You two are coming, too." Joyce said.

"In a minute. Go!" Paige said.

Snyder doesn't need any coaching. He bumps a woman teacher out of his way, makes a beeline for the library. The others follow, Giles and Jenny helping them to safety.

"Right through the back…" Giles said.

Dawn and Joyce hang back, watching for different reasons as Buffy and Paige head down the hall toward the lounge. They enter the lounge and spot Spike with his back towards them.

"Fe fi fo fum. I smell the blood of two nice ripe girls." Spike said as he turns to face them.

"Do we really need weapons for this?" Buffy asked.

"I just like 'em. Make me feel all manly." Spike said before he drops his and Buffy and Paige drop theirs. "The last Slayer I killed, she begged for her life. I don't see you as the begging kind."

"You shouldn't have come here." Paige said.

"Yeah, I messed up your doilies and stuff. But I just got so bored! Tell you what. As a personal favor from me to the two of you. I'll make it quick. It won't hurt a bit." Spike said.

"Wrong. It's gonna hurt a lot." Buffy said.

A moment's hesitation crosses his face, and he hurls himself at Buffy and Paige. Fast. And the punches fly, fast and furious. The three of them go full tilt. All three of them are getting winded, Spike is starting to give just a little better than he's getting.

Spike closes in with a vicious combination of punches and kicks as he knocks Paige across the room. Paige lays their unconscious. Buffy pretends like the last kick hurt more than it did. He goes for the big k.o on her too. She perks up and moves out of the way causing Spike's hand to go right through the wall. Buffy locks her hands and hammers him on the back of the neck.

"Now that hurt." Spike said.

"I'd hope so." Buffy said. "You better hope my sister is not seriously hurt."

Spike rips his hand out of the wall - bringing a broken two by four stud with it. "Not as much as this will."

Wallops Buffy with the stud. Buffy goes down. Winded, nowhere to turn. She looks up at Spike, standing over her victorious.

He raises the stud over his head. He's going to bash her brains in. As he's about to do just that he is hit in the head by Joyce! Wielding the blunt edge of the fire ax. Spike flies back - hits the ground hard. Totally blindsided.

Joyce is deep in a mother's rage. "You get the hell away from my daughters!"

Spike glances out the broken window:

Buffy gets to her feet as Dawn helps Paige to stand. Paige and Buffy are ready for blood. They stand next to their mother whose hands grip the ax:

Spike knows it's time to run and fight another day. "Women." And he leaps out the window and disappears into the night.

Buffy and Paige turn to Joyce and Dawn. They're all breathing hard. Physically and emotionally drained.

"Mom… you…" Buffy said.

Joyce nodded, "No one… lays a finger… on my little girls."

And Joyce drops the ax. And Buffy, Paige and Dawn falls into her arms.

Later that night outside there is cop cars, cops, flashing bubble lights and a coroner's wagon.

Buffy, Paige, Dawn and Joyce walk to their car together.

"So, uh… what did you and principal Snyder talk about anyway?" Buffy asked.

"Principal Snyder told me you and Paige were troublemakers. And I could care less." Joyce said as she turned to her daughters. "I have three daughters who can take care of themselves. Who's brave and resourceful and thinks of others when there's a crisis." She doesn't mention it but she heard what Paige had told Dawn in the science classroom and knows that if Paige trusts Dawn that much to take care of her that Dawn must be able to take care of herself also. "No matter who you three hang out with or what dumb teenage stuff you all think you have to do, I'm gonna sleep better knowing all that."

Needless to say, a moment passes between them. They start toward the car again.

"About how long till this wears off and you start ragging us again?" Paige asked as Dawn smiled.

"At LEAST a week and a half." Joyce said smiling.

"That is so cool…" Buffy, Paige and Dawn said.

* * *

** Author's Note:** As I mentioned in the last chapter I bought several novelizations of episodes of BTVS. I have edited the chapters Angel and I Robot You Jane adding in some of the stuff the scripts again doesn't go into detail on.


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